Two Choices, Feeling Horrible
by kyaranari.amulet.fortune
Summary: Rose gets sick yet Dimitri has already accepted Tasha's offer. When he finds out that Rose needs him, will he stay or go? And what will Tasha do to get Dimitri away from Rose? This was adopted from Rachel-rob-Sandwich. Review and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Lurking Secrets

**This is set in Frostbite. It's about Rose getting sick, and Dimitri has already accepted Tasha's offer. But when he finds Rose needs him, will he stay or go? And what will Tasha do to get Dimitri away from Rose?**

**Disclaimer: The VA characters do not belong to me. They belong to the lovely Richelle Mead. Also, this story was adopted from Rachel-rob-Sandwich. Just a bit of tinkering here and there. **

**Chapter 1**

**Second day at the ski lodge:**

I woke to an empty room; I suppose Lissa must have gone early in the morning because it was 9:30 AM **(They're going by human time)** when I woke up. I checked the bond to make sure she was alright, and by it I could tell she was happy. I lay in bed for a couple more seconds relaxing, until I heard a knock at the door. I went to go get it but when I stood I felt a stabbing pain in my stomach and quickly ran to the toilet, to go throw-up whatever was in my stomach.

"Rose I know you're in there, answer the door, we need to talk!" Dimitri called, banging on the door again. '_Great! Just what I needed!' _"I'm coming in Rose, whether you like it or not!" Dimitri called out after about a minute of calling my name. I could hear him coming towards the bathroom. When he saw me sitting on the floor, I suppose I looked horrible because his eyes widened once he saw me, "Oh, Roza what happened?" He said kneeling down in front of me, concern written all over his face. But I was still angry with him; he was going to leave me for Tasha.

"Go away! Go run back to Tasha. I'm sure she needs you more than I do," I said. I was trying to sound angry, but my voice wasn't angry, it was hurt.

"What are you talking about Rose, Tasha and I are just friends," He asked confused. Eventually he realized what I was talking about. I turned away; afraid that if I looked at him anymore I would start crying. "Roza, look at me," He said in a gentle voice. When I didn't turn to face him he put his hand under my chin and made me look in his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you myself about Tasha's offer. And I'm sorry, but I've already accepted it. That's what I came here to tell you. But now seeing you like this I'm not sure if I should go, I'm sorry," He said and I could tell just by looking in his eyes it was the truth. _'So I'm just holding him back. Great.'_

"Just go Dimitri, get the hell out of here!" I yelled with the last of my strength, trying to push him away from me.

"No, not until you get help," he insisted. "I'm going to get Dr. Olendzki. Stay here and don't move." He got up and left. Once he was gone, I closed and locked the bathroom door and crumpled to the floor crying. _'It's too late, Comrade. It's too late…'_

**10hrs later (7:30PM)**

"Rose, are you in here? I ran into Guardian Belikov on my way here. He said you'd been sick, are you alright?" No I was not alright. I felt terrible, I felt like my heart had been ripped out, and I had been sitting on a cold floor most of the day. Even though I felt like screaming that out to her (Lissa) I just sat there in silence. "Rose, I know you're in there. Open the door." She said through the bathroom door to me. After about a minute I could hear another person walking to the door.

"Rose, we need to see you to make sure you're ok. Could you please open the door?" Someone said. It didn't seem to be a person I recognized though.

"Rose, if you don't open this door, I'll go get Dimitri," Lissa threatened.

"No," I said my voice coming out in a croak. I didn't want to see him. He had ruined my life and ripped my heart out by accepting Tasha's offer.

"Well then, let us in," Another person spoke up. As I got up, I slowly made my way to the door, on the verge of collapsing.

"No," I repeated, this time more firmly.

"I'm gonna go call Dimitri then," Lissa threatened again.

"You do, and you will regret it Lissa. I'm not in the mood for some empty threat. Just leave me the hell alone!" I screamed through the door, sobbing at this point. To be honest, I was a complete mess. Something's wrong with my body, my mind can't comprehend Dimitri's departure, and I didn't know what to do anymore.

"Rose…" I heard Lissa whisper. Darkness engulfed me and I slid against the door, powerless to fight any of it off. A painful stab hit my heart and I coughed. _'Shit.'_ I eventually collapsed onto the floor, unable to move.

"Is she still locked in there?" I heard Dimitri's voice.

"It seems so. She's not letting any of us get to her and none of us can tell what's going on," Lissa responded.

"Rose, open the door!" Dimitri commanded. I finally opened the door with the last bit of strength I had.

"Rose!" The last thing I saw was Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, and Dr. Olendzki rushing in. "Roza, listen to me, you've got to hold on! We'll get you to the infirmary soon so don't give up!" Dimitri yelled. Finally, I completely lost consciousness.

**So how was the first chapter? I tweaked up the ending, but fear not, the story will keep the main story and whatnot. So review and look forward to the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Rose's Resolve

**So it seems that you guys enjoyed the first chapter quite a bit. Thank you ****, xXx-CiCi-xXx, and Rachel-rob-Sandwich for the reviews! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the VA characters or the plot. **

**Chapter 2**

_11 A.M. the next day..._

I woke to a really bright light, almost blinding. I turned to my left, my head pounding in the meantime, and saw the last person I wanted to see sitting there. Tasha- why couldn't she just let me be? Why couldn't she just go away?

"Hey Rose, how are you feeling?" She asked me, sitting up properly. '_Damn Moroi.'_

"Why are you here?" I spat out, ignoring her question.

"Well, I heard you were in here so I just had to make sure you were ok. I'll go get Lissa. She wanted to see you," She said getting up and leaving. '_Yeah…whatever.'_

After about a minute Lissa came in and gently hugged me, looking at me with worry. "Are you ok? Do you need anything? Do you want the doctor...?"

"Lissa, I'm fine calm down. How are you? You look like you haven't had sleep in ages," I said cutting her off. Lissa was always so kind. Even though she knew well that I was going to be a guardian, she still couldn't help but worry. Then again, it's me who's causing her to worry in the first place.

"Well I couldn't sleep even though they tried to force me," She said nodding her head towards the door.

"Who are 'they'?" I asked curiously.

"Christian, Dimitri, Tasha, Nathan and the doctor," She replied in a non-caring manner. '_Nathan? Who the hell is Nathan?'_

"Who's Nathan?" I asked warily. It's never good when Lissa makes a new friend without my knowledge. For example, Mr. Fireball right behind the door. Then again, we were cool now so it was okay…I guess.

"Nathan's your new mentor and Christian's guardian. I met with the queen yesterday about my new guardian, and also kind of 'asked' her about Christian's guardian," She emphasized the word 'asked' a bit too suspiciously.

"When you say 'asked' do you mean you 'made' the queen get Christian one early?" I said, curious. "Well I didn't use 'it' that much, and also I don't want him ever getting hurt," She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Damn, she used compulsion again," I muttered under my breath. _'I guess I'll take darkness away later. She's totally going to be end of me.'_ I sighed.

"I also found out who's going to be my new guardian after Dimitri goes, well if Dimitri goes. He's kind of undecided, which is weird for him," Just that one little bit of hope brightened my mood. I was still holding him back though. '_Why is he waiting so much for me? After all I did to push him away.'_ I didn't understand.

"Cool," I said suddenly tired. "I'm tired Liss, I'm gonna to go to sleep," I said closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep, thinking about what Dimitri and I could have been or will be. I opened my eyes once more to see Lissa leave and the door closed. I gave a yawn and curled up.

"Roza, Roza are you awake?" Someone asked from somewhere far away while gently nudging me. "Rose, open your eyes," The voice said getting closer. That is, until I realized whose voice it was, Dimitri's. I opened my eyes to see his beautiful brown ones. Startling me, I pushed him back pretty hard. "Rose, you're awake," He bluntly stated.

"No shit, Sherlock. If I wasn't awake I probably wouldn't have my eyes open, now would I?" I retorted back, almost in a spiteful manner.

"Now I really know you're awake. How are you, do you need anything?" He asked concerned._ 'Pssh. Yeah right, like he had the right to ask.'_ I looked at him with hatred and scorn.

"Yeah, I need you to stay and not go away with Tasha. Or if you're still going with her, maybe leave now. Which one will it be Dimitri?" I said being a bitch to him. This was just as bad as an ultimatum. "Rose you know that's not fair. I can't decide, if I leave you'll hate me and if I stay I can't have a family. I can't decide which one, and you know that," He said seriously, putting his guardian mask on. _'Why was he so obsessed with having a family too? Isn't a family supposed to be created with the person you love? God sakes, he doesn't even love Tasha.' _It suddenly hit me and I realized that I never even understood his feelings for me. _'Of course there's no way he was telling the truth. Saying he loved me…am I that stupid?'_

"Dimitri you should take Tasha's offer. She can give you the life you want and she wants you. I don't want to hold you back, I hate holding you back," I whispered, stunning myself and him. I was sick and tired of being like dead weight around Dimitri.

"Rose, I have to go. I'll be back later. We'll talk about this then. Get some rest, you look tired," He said getting up and leaving. As he left, I threw a pillow at the door and burst into tears. _'Why had I said that?'_ I wanted him to stay so badly. I didn't want him to leave to be with Tasha. I suddenly felt angry, and I knew it was spirit. '_Why couldn't I be a normal girl? Not in love with my mentor. Not be shadow kissed. Not be destined to guard someone my whole life and have a normal love life like most girls.'_ It was shit, I hated it, I didn't want this life, but I guess I had to stay at least for Lissa. _'They come first. Damn, I hate that saying so much.'_ As I collapsed back onto the bed, tears streamed down the sides of my face, soaking the bed itself. I covered my face and sobbed. Finally, I got up and out of my bed to turn off the lights in my room. _'Rose Hathaway is one of the strongest here at the school. Rose is so brave. She's amazing to be one of the best female guardians, like her mother.'_ All these sentences about me floating around school all the time; how are they even true? _'No one understands. No one understands anything at all! Not my feelings, not my secrets, nothing! They don't know anything!' _As darkness consumed my thoughts, I resented the students and Moroi more and more. I was starting to hit my breaking point so I simply went back to sleep, darkness engulfing my mind.

**Well that's that. Rose's resolve is falling apart. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review! It really encourages me to know that people actually do like the story. People who added this story as a favorite and on alert, thanks to you guys too! **

**(A/N: I'll most likely be editing chapters throughout the week and I'll post each chapter usually by the weekend. So it'll be like one to two chapters per week. I hope that's alright with you guys! I'm a high school senior so I'm quite busy.)**


	3. Chapter 3: Nathan's Intent

**So here's the third chapter! Thanks for all the reviews from: Rachel-rob-Sandwich, kshadow, readsalot8, xXx-CiCi-xXx, missa 27, belikov, , and roseskyangel for all the reviews! You guys are the best! Keep reviewing and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the VA characters nor the plot.**

**Chapter 3**

6th day:

The last couple of days were horrible. Dimitri didn't visit. '_Well, only once and that was to tell me he would be leaving soon with Tasha-that bitch- for a while.'_ Lissa had to go back, because school started, I was stuck in a hospital bed with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling, sometimes eat if I could, think about Dimitri -which made me cry-, and maybe sleep. '_What would I do once I was out? Go back to school, ignoring the fact that Dimitri wasn't going to be there.'_ He had made up his mind. He would go for two months then come back with Tasha because she wanted to come back for Christian graduation. _'Graduation, my ass. She's probably coming back just to shove it into my face that she had won Dimitri from me.'_ Either way the only person I saw was the doctor and Nathan. Since he was my mentor he had to stay with me.

"Rosemarie?" The doctor said bringing me back from my thoughts.

"It's Rose already... Hey, doc what's happening?" I said back. This was my usual response.

"Well, I've come to check on my favorite patient. How are you today... Rose?" She said, not sure about using my shortened name. One person I could never really be evil, mean, or cynical to was probably Dr. Olendzki. She's known me for so long, I'd feel bad that I keep bringing her more trouble. "I feel alright, not 100%. Can I go back yet? I'm bored here." I was lying a bit. I was in fact, not doing too well. I had been vomiting, coughing, I had the worst headache and my muscles were really sore, although I was feeling a little better. But to me, getting the hell out of this place was better than anything.

"I can tell you're lying. I've been told that you're going to go back to the academy today. I assume Nathan will come get you when it's time to go. I hope you get better Rose." She said walking out and closing the door. _'Wow. I give her props for seeing through my lie just like that._' I saw a bag sitting on the visitor chair so I assumed that was my clothes; I looked in to see my favorite leopard print singlet and black leggings, with my thongs **(Sandals, to some people who aren't Aussie or flip flops.)** and a black leather jacket that looked warm, and also my essentials. I took a long shower and got changed, being extra slow because my muscles were really tense. _'Damn. I don't really want to move around._' After about ten minutes of waiting, Nathan came in. He was hot, cute, and handsome, whatever you want to call him; with his golden-colored eyes and honey brown hair. God, he was perfect, but I wasn't interested in him. He was more of a friend and mentor than a boyfriend to me, sort of like a big brother as one would say. _'But then again, am I so sure of that? I mean, look at Dimitri. I ended up falling for him, didn't I?' _Only time would tell in situations like these.

"Hey. You ready?" I heard him ask. Somehow, nothing came from my mouth. I just froze as chills went up my spine. He reminded me so much of Dimitri. When Dimitri's image came into my mind, without knowing, I suddenly had an outburst.

"Damn it! Just shut up already!" I yelled.

"Excuse me?" He asked, obviously insulted. _'Shit._' I attempted to hide my embarrassed face.

"Um…could you wait outside a bit?" I asked in a whisper almost. But before I knew it, he suddenly hugged me.

"What the-?" He cut me off by shushing me.

"Just be quiet for a minute." He stroked my hair, as I wondered what he was doing. Soon enough, I realized it when I started to cry. _'How did he know I was upset?'_ I just gave in completely as I sobbed into his chest. "You're okay. I've got you. Just let it all out," He comforted me, cradling me in his arms for a bit. "You miss him, don't you? Dimitri, I mean. You loved him," Suddenly, I pushed him away pretty hard.

"You knew about that?" I asked warily.

"Sweetheart, Rose. I've observed you the last few days. You miss him and it's killing you. Lissa's spirit using isn't helping it either. I can see it," He spoke out. I looked down, averting his gaze. _'Talk about bulls-eye much?'_

"Yeah? Well, what good will just observing do? It won't do anything," I replied.

"You are wrong, little one. I will do something about it," He lifted my chin with a finger. "Starting today, I promise you. I will protect you from whatever harm that will come your way. Whether romance, or fighting with Strigoi, I will protect you until my last breath be taken away. Forget the Moroi. They can learn to fight on their own. They have their magic. But first thing first, we need to get you back onto your feet because from the looks of it, Dimitri took all your strength with him," I laughed a bit. "There we go. Smile. It helps heal a lot of things," He wiped the last of my tears and smiled back at me. "Come on. We don't want to be late for our flight, little one," He winked at me as I nodded. _'Maybe there is a better outcome in all of this.'_ I looked at Nathan as he led the way. _'Maybe I can trust him.'_

Once we were on the plane, I fell asleep dreaming about nothing.

4 hours later back at the Academy

I lay down waiting for the needles that were about to be poked into my arm. "Rose, there's no need to lie down. You seem perfectly fine to me. Your breathing's normal; you're not coughing; you walk as fast as a normal person, and you don't seem to have a temperature running. I'd say you got over it on the flight." Olendzki said, clearly convinced I was fine.

"Ok, so do I go back to school tomorrow or do go back on Monday, since it is Thursday?" I asked hoping I could start on Monday. "Yes, you can go back on Monday but take it easy; otherwise I think I might just have to keep you permanently in here." She said trying but failing at making a joke. "Ok, doc. Bye." I said getting up and walking out. As soon as I was out of the clinic I ran into someone. I mumbled sorry and kept walking. Once I was in my dorm room I locked my door, not too sure what to do. _'Should I go visit Lissa, maybe go train some more and ignore the doctor's orders, or just sit here and cry about my life?'_ I liked the second idea so I went to go take my anger and pain out on exercise. I got changed into my gym wear; short, orange gym shorts, a grey tank top, and white converse. I also put normal clothes in my black gym bag.

I headed straight for the gym and saw no one. I guess that was because it was late. **(They've gone back to Moroi time)**

I headed straight for the punching bag, and hit it; I was so angry, frustrated, hurt, and sad. I just kept hitting it, all the while not really knowing who or what I was hitting for that matter. After a while, I was tired of this, so I went out to the running track and did about 30 laps. During the end of my running though, I noticed someone was watching me so I took a glance to see who it was. _'Nathan? What's he doing here?_' He gave a warm smile and left. I looked back, completely confused. _'Was there a possibility that he likes me?'_ Anyways, after he left, I went to take a shower and got changed but on my way to the showers I ran into someone again. _'Damn. I keep running into people apparently._' And yet again, I mumbled sorry.

"Hey, you're that girl that I ran into earlier at the clinic." A man said; catching up to me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." I said and kept walking.

"Nah, it's alright we're even. First time was my fault. By the way I'm Andrew Akim, I just moved here a week ago," _'So he was new, so what?' _

"I'm Rose Hathaway, as much as I'd like to talk, I can't. I stink and really need a shower, so goodbye," I said almost to the change rooms.

"Wait," He said grabbing my arm. "Are you really Rose Hathaway? You're like at legend at my old school. I mean it's like nice to meet you and all but wow," He said. _'Ok that wasn't something I'd expected. Me? A legend? No way. He's just trying to flirt with me.' _

"Well, unless you want to get your face punched in, I suggest you let go of my arm," I threatened. He didn't let go. "Now," I demanded, pulling my arm out of his grasp.

"You know what? We might see each other more often. You amuse me," He laughed while walking away. _'Creeper.'_ Chills went up and down my spine before I got into the showers.

The weekend passed quickly. I didn't speak to anyone, not even Lissa or Mason. I hid on the roof most of the time, because no one went up there. I sang to myself most of the time or listened to my iPod or sometimes just lay down staring at the sky, and that was how I spent my weekend but all too soon it finished.

'_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!' _Great! There goes my alarm, I hit it with my hand and it finally shut up. I slowly got up and had a shower. I changed and ran down to the gym, late as always. I opened the gym door knowing Nathan would be in there.

"Rose, you're late. Why does that not surprise me?" He said from in the middle of the gym whilst I dumped my stuff at the door. I gave him a dark look. _'How is he so similar to Dimitri?' _

"Probably because you heard about my awesome reputation," I said back, almost warily.

"Yes, I did hear about your reputation. No, it was not awesome. I want 20 laps now," He said not moving from the middle of the floor. I stood, unmoving. "Go before I make you do forty," He said clearly not fazed. Suddenly, darkness clouded my mind and I pulled out my stake. "I said go, Rose. Do not make me repeat myself," He ordered. _'Attack him. Shut him up._' A voice kept telling me. Before I knew it, on impulse, I charged at him. "Rose!" He quickly pulled out his stake and fought me back. My eyes glazed over and all I felt was pure fury and hate. "Rose, snap out of it!" He blocked all my hits until he had an opening, hitting the stake out of my hand, and pushing me to the floor. I was gasping for air.

"Rose, calm down. It's alright. I'm here. It's alright," My body was shaking. _'What did I just do?'_ I was scared stiff, crying at this point. "Shh…I'm here…I'm here. Don't worry. I've got you." He stroked my back a bit. "Listen to me. Go outside, do ten laps, then come back. Can you do that for me?" He asked nicely this time. I nodded, still shaking. He got off of me and I stood up, fighting back the remaining darkness that plagued my mind. I went out the door and ran the laps, stopping now and then.

"What next?" I asked coming in to the gym.

"You can do some cool down stretches then you'll do some weights. Take it easy though. Remember, I'm not here to hurt you," He said in an odd position on the floor. I stretched making occasional comments about the way he was positioned which got him a bit annoyed to my pleasure. "Do you always comment on everything everyone does?" He asked telling me what weights he wanted me to do.

"Pretty much. Although some things I'd rather not ask about." I said while doing what he told me. He nodded.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked. Catching my off guard, I jumped back as I dropped the weights.

"Yeah…for now," I replied. He simply nodded again as I finished the rest of my weight lifting. The rest of the session went quick. Next was Stan's class. Oh, how I was dreading Stan's class. It would be torture. I walked in five minutes late, not really caring and got the usual treatment from Stan. "So Hathaway, you cared to join us today," He said trying to get me angry.

"Well, I couldn't let you miss me anymore, now could I Stan?" I said back as always.

"Glad to know you care." He said, not being able to think of anything else.

"Of course I care, Stanny Boy. Why wouldn't I?" I smirked.

"Just take a seat," He sighed.

"Fine, I will," I said going over and sitting at a table close to the teacher's one, just to annoy him. "As I was saying before, Miss Hathaway so rudely interrupted us ..." I zoned out for the rest already, knowing everything he said. I guess that's what happens when you use to have a kick ass mentor. The rest of the day flew by, with me kicking everyone's butt who dared to challenge me and getting kicked out of class a couple of times.

-  
**Well, that's that. Seems like something's going to happen between Nathan and Rose. I sense a future love triangle! Haha. Anyways, I want to thank everyone who added this as a story favorite and on their alert and obviously the reviewers I mentioned before the chapter. You guys are amazing! Maybe if there are more reviews, I might just update faster. ;)**

**Thanks again!**


	4. Chapter 4: Dark and Light

**So here's the fourth chapter! Thanks to , kshadow, Dimka's chick, AlishaZoe, and roseskyangel for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the plot or the VA characters!**

**Chapter 4**

_Thursday (8TH DAY BACK AT THE ACADEMY):_

'_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP...' 'BANG!' '__Damn, that was the third alarm clock this week.'_ I slowly got up, walked over, and grabbed my new gym clothes. I had gotten new ones because I needed a new look, something different; so I went and picked stuff out from the internet and it had arrived from Missoula last night(or should I say very early in the morning). I had picked out, a black sports bra, Red Everlast shorts, the same gym bag, and some pink and white Everlast shoes. I went and got changed; not in the mood to have a shower. I also kept my hair down, which was unusual for me.

Last night I had decided that if Dimitri wasn't here, then I would go back to my old self before he came along, and not even Lissa could stop me. I ran to the gym five minutes late as always, I pushed through the doors and dumped my bag at the side of the gym.

"Rose, you're late again. You need to be on time. And for being late for the 4th time this week, I want you to do forty laps," He was grumpy and I could tell. But what was really sweet of him was that he was still considering what had happened before when I tried to attack him. He seemed careful about my reaction. Well, he was going have to put up with the old Rose Hathaway now.

"Well then, I guess I'll be doing more laps every day because, if you don't already know I've only been early or on time about twice. So I hope you have fun waiting for me," I said, walking out onto the track and starting the forty laps. After about ten minutes I finished, finally.

"Finally, you're back. I was beginning to think you'd never come back," Nathan said in a teasing voice as I came into the gym. The really weird thing was that even though he was teasing me, it seemed he was quite on edge, if not wary about my temper.

"Well, that's not gonna happen. Anyways, you try running forty laps in ten minutes after almost no work out due to the ski trip. Also, uh…Nathan, you know you can joke freely. I won't attack you. I promise," I said sitting down and leaning my head against the wall.

"Little one, don't worry. Considering your mental state, I just don't want to push you too far. Just take it easy sort of thing. Hey, want to make a bet?" He said, out of nowhere. _'Heh, well that's more like it.'_

"Sure, if you run forty laps in ten minutes, I'll do one hundred laps. And if you don't... you have to run, shirtless, one hundred laps after the forty you do. Deal?" I said trying not to laugh. _'He is so going lose.'_

"Deal," He said getting up and walking out to the track. I grabbed a stopwatch, and headed outside after him. I yelled start and started the stop watch once he was ready. He started off at a dash. _'He's not going to make it. No one can stand Belikov's challenge.'_ Suddenly, I stopped myself, mid-thought, looking at the ground, gripping the stop watch tightly. _'Belikov…'_ It felt as if I had reopened an old wound in my heart. "ROSE! Are you okay?" Nathan asked while running. I looked at him. He looked exactly like Dimitri when Dimitri ran with me. I started thinking otherwise at this point, but that wasn't what pissed me off. What pissed me off was that even though I claimed I would revert to my normal self, it was easier said than done. When I felt darkness starting to bubble, I knew I had to escape and cool down before I lost it so I threw down the stopwatch and headed to the gym again. I curled up in a corner and just stayed like that as Nathan was still running outside.

_15 minutes later..._

"Ok, so you win. What was the deal?" Nathan asked me, handing me the stop watch that was stopped at fifteen minutes exact. _'There's no way that happened. He finished and waited outside.'_

"You have to run, shirtless, 100 times around the track," I said almost in a tired manner.

"Rose, answer me. Are you okay?" He held me to him. I simply shook my head.

"I can't pretend like nothing's happened. I can't smile. I can't be myself anymore," I whispered. Nathan stroked my hair, not saying anything. Suddenly he took his shirt off. "You don't have to do this. I won't make you," I changed my decision.

"No. I'll do it and I promise, when I'm done, you will be laughing. Not forcefully, but on your own. Promise," He rubbed my back before pulling me back out to the track so I could watch him run.

And he did, after about fifty laps some of the other Novices came over to me and asked why the teacher was running laps, shirtless, so I told them and they laughed and told me only I could do that to a teacher. I smiled and started laughing with them. After a while some of the teachers came out too, and I could tell they knew it was me who had done this to the teacher, luckily though they didn't come near me, some even laughed and found it funny or yelled out something like _'I warned you about messing with her! 'Or 'how many laps you doing Nathan?'_ When he had ten more laps to go I yelled out.

"You've still got ten more to go, pick up the pace already! I don't want to be late to class!" He sighed in frustration, and did the ten laps. He was right. I was now laughing, not because I was forcing myself, but because I actually was having fun.

"So, did you have fun?" I asked Nathan giving him my evil smile. He gave me a look of anger, but eventually smiled.

"I should be the one asking you that. Are you okay now?" That totally caught me off guard. I kind of expected that he would be pissed off instead. Well it was his fault for making the bet, if he didn't want to lose he should have just kept his mouth shut. I looked down at the track before answering him.

"No, I'm not okay. But you know what? I will be," I smiled lightly. He messed with my hair.

"Good girl. Go take a shower now," He sent me on my way. I quickly took a shower and got changed; I had also got some new clothes to wear, a black singlet top with some black sparkly circle things on it, with light blue, faded, denim short-shorts, and black high heeled boots with leather straps around them. Altogether, it looked hot.

I went to the cafeteria and got a chocolate glazed donut and ate it on my way to class, late again. I walked in and was met with stares, stares from what I had done this morning, from being late and also from wearing something like what I was now.

"Miss Hathaway, you are late again. What's your excuse this time?" Stan asked clearly annoyed by me interrupting the class.

"I had training, I was bored, I like being late, I like pissing you off, I was kissing someone, I had a shower, I couldn't find class, I have memory loss, I can't seem to remember you because you're so ugly... take your pick. I've got plenty more excuses." I said taking extra-long to get to a seat.

"Miss Hathaway, I suggest you take your seat and be quiet," He said angry.

"Well, I'm already in a seat. And me quiet, like that is ever gonna happen, are you dreaming again? You know you're meant to take your pills," I said just to piss him off more. "Miss Hathaway, if I hear one more word out of you, you'll go to Headmistress Kirova's office."

"Whatever, Trevor," I said, clearly not caring about the threat he had just given me.

"OUT!" He yelled, giving me one last glare before turning to the rest of the class and starting to talk about something. Nathan headed out with me.

"Couldn't last five minutes, couldn't you?" He smirked. I looked at my watch.

"Actually, I lasted five minutes and two seconds," I winked.

"Come on. Get back to class. I'll talk to Guardian Alto," The two of us walked back into class. Stan looked at me with a glare, but after some convincing from Nathan, Stan allowed me back in class.

_Forty minutes later... _

"Also the headmistress, asked me to remind you about Halloween tomorrow. You may dress up, in whatever you like as long as it's suitable." Stan said glancing my way at the last part. I had a reputation for disobeying the dress code.

_Lunch time..._

"Rose, where have you been this past week, I heard you were back and I've been looking for you everywhere. I was worried," Lissa said, after running up and giving me a big hug when I walked into the cafeteria. "It's alright Liss. Calm down, I'm fine. I just couldn't see anyone, well, I didn't want to see anyone, but now I'm fine. So... what's been happening while I've been away?" I asked, trying to get her off the subject of me disappearing for a while. I searched her mind and saw the concern disappear into excitement.

"Well, I've been finding a costume for Halloween. Umm, Mason found a new girl to hang out with I think her name Caroline Lily. So, yeah and also there's a dance going on tomorrow so everyone will be there unless you're going to Eddie's party. Are you?" She asked hoping not.

"I might go, beats going to the stupid dance," I said feeling rebellious.

"Oh…ok," She said clearly disappointed. Then her face lit up as she thought of something to tell me. "Also one more thing, I found another spirit user." She said in excitement to me.

"What? Who?" I asked surprised. '_How had she managed to hide that from me?'_ "Adrian Ivashkov, I only found out at the Ski lodge, so don't get angry with me for not telling you," '_Adrian Ivashkov, no. He couldn't be a spirit user. Could he?'_

The rest of the day passed in a blur, it was like my own personal hell yet again. Adrian was here and staying. '_Great! Just Great!' _Later that night, I decided to head up to the academy's rooftop from the girls' dormitory. As a breeze blew through, I sneezed. Suddenly, a heavy coat fell onto my back.

"Woah! Hey!" I turned to see Nathan smile at me. "How'd you find me here?" I asked curiously.

"I've seen you up here when something usually goes wrong. I heard you found out that Lord Ivashkov is a spirit user," He stated blatantly.

"So it's true?" I asked back. Nathan simply nodded.

"Is that a problem?" Nathan asked in return to my question. I laid my head onto his lap. "You've had quite the rough day. Is Lissa's spirit using affecting you more than it should be?" I nodded.

"That and I can't believe I'll say this, but I miss Dimitri," I confessed. Even though I promised myself I would revert back, nothing had happened. Sure, my spunkiness was back, but none of the problems disappeared.

"You know, from the sound of things, you seem to be running away from your problems rather than face them. They won't go away until you confront your fear of them," He stated. _'Oh man, was that cheesy.'_ I stayed quiet as he stroked my hair. Suddenly, I shivered. "Is it too cold out here? We can continue talking at my room," He suggested. I shook my head.

"You'll get in trouble," I told him. He stayed quiet, mostly for the fact that it was true. "Anyways, I'm going to go. I need to get to bed. I'm tired," He looked at me worried.

"You sure you'll be fine on your own?" He was concerned. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," He nodded.

"Come here," I approached Nathan.

"What is it?" He smiled, suddenly pulling me down a bit, just enough so that he kissed me.

"Good night, little one," He smiled. I swear my face turned red right then. _'What did he just do?'_ I panicked.

"Uh…good night!" I dashed off the roof and back to my room where I slammed the door shut and slid against it. _'He loves me. He really loves me.'_ When I took another thought at it, I realized I was really happy. I squealed as I felt like I was on cloud nine. As I brushed my teeth and then got into bed, I squealed one more time before relaxing on my bed. However, before I went to sleep, I got a text on my phone. _'Huh, it's from Nathan. Wonder what it's about.'_ As I flipped open my cell phone and opened my text message, I didn't like the message.

_Rose, stay in your room tomorrow and do not come out until I tell you to. Nathan_

There was only one reason Nathan needed to keep me in my room and it was most likely that he was trying to protect me. And from his previous promise, he only had one thing to protect me from. _He _was coming back.

**Well, we have a new couple developing! Dimitri has tough competition when he comes back, doesn't he? Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved editing it and adding on to it! Review and review! I appreciate all the favorites being added for this story as well as the alerts and reviews, of course. You guys are the best! **


	5. Chapter 5: On Opposite Ends

**So here's chapter 5! Thanks to , purplewolfsoda, and Dimka's chick for reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own this plot of any of the VA characters.**

**Chapter 5**

_Halloween Day…_

I got up, woken up by my stupid alarm ringing. I quickly got changed into my sport uniform; again not bothering to shower knowing I would have to take one after training anyway. I walked into the gym expecting to only see Nathan, but I saw two people; Nathan and... "Dimitri?" I asked, the tall person who had their back to me. I looked at Nathan and he gave me a glare. _I was right about the text then._ I pulled out my cell phone quickly to re-check the same message I received last night. Nathan sighed. "Rose, I was just talking to Nathan, about what you've learnt from me," Dimitri said turning around to face me. As he looked at what I was wearing I could see the longing in his eyes. _'You have no right to be here.'_

"Well, uh…I've got training so I think you should go Dimitri," I said trying to be casual at asking him to leave, as I threw my bag to the side of the room.

"Actually, I'm going to be watching in on training whilst I'm here. Because of what happened yesterday," He said back.

"Whatever. Nathan what am I doing today?" I said ignoring Dimitri now. Nathan noticed that I was slightly edgy because of this now. He gave me a look and came to me. Quickly he took my hand. As I tried to pull it away, he pulled my hand harder and put it over his heart.

"I will keep my promise. I'll try to keep you away from him as much as possible," He whispered.

"First as always, 40 laps for being late," He said, completely back to normal. I looked back at Dimitri and saw what seemed to be almost an angry face. I ran out onto the track without hesitation, and anger which made me go faster. _'How could he come back? Why? Was I really that bad yesterday that they had to send for him? Or did he actually come for my sake? Well I suppose I'll just go with ignoring Dimitri for now.'_

"Rose! You're done. Stop!" Nathan yelled trying to catch up with me. I just kept running, because if I stopped I was likely to hit someone. After about ten more laps I stopped, finally in the mood to stop. "Rose, what was that? I told you to stop," Nathan said coming over to me.

"Nathan…not right now…" I warned him.

"Rose, that's why I told you to stay in today until I came and got you," Nathan whispered. _'Well, too late for that now.'_ I looked away, purposefully distancing myself from Nathan and Dimitri. "Also, you were, well, you looked angry. And wow, were you fast. I couldn't even catch up to you." He said after he had caught his breathe.

"Dimitri could've caught me if he wanted to. So why didn't he?" I asked suddenly curious as to why he didn't try to catch me.

"Because he didn't want to. Now let's go do some sparring," He said heading over to the mats. _'Because he didn't want to…wow, that's low. Well then, if Guardian Belikov wants it that way, then I guess I'll have to fight fire with fire.'_ As Nathan set up, I realized that I hadn't fought with Nathan yet. We had mostly been doing weights, stretches and some running. I ran over eager to actually fight. I positioned myself and so did he. I sprang hoping to catch him by surprise, but failed and his hand grazed the side of my head, as he blocked and attacked. We both got some good hits in. Finally, I caught him off guard and pinned him to the ground, successfully defeating him. We did this over and over again, when we had done ten matches, me winning eight of them, it was time to pack up.

"You did well, Rose. You're fast and had some good hits. Well done, we'll continue this next session on Monday," He said to me after packing things away. I quickly walked over and grabbed my bag ignoring Dimitri; I could tell he was watching me. I went to walk out but before I could he spoke. "Rose, what's wrong?" He asked from behind me. I spun around suddenly furious. Nathan quickly came to intervene. He could see that I was going to lose it.

"What's wrong? That's the best you can do, what's wrong? What's wrong is that the man I loved ran away with someone else, what's wrong is my life is messed up! I'm hurt, Dimitri and nothing or anyone can fix that not even the man I love! I don't even know why I still love you after all you put me through! I was seriously sick when you left me. And you leaving didn't help; I got worse when you left. And now you coming back, it's just made everything worse! God, Dimitri I wish I wasn't in love with you; with those brown beautiful eyes of yours, and that long hair that gets in your way all the time and those smiles that used to make my day. How could I not love you? But now that's over and I'm done with you. Just leave already," I said, letting my walls down and showing him all the emotion I had over him. I ran away and didn't look back, afraid that if I did, I would cry.

"Rose! Come here!" Nathan yelled. I turned and ran right into Nathan's arms as Dimitri watched.

"I've got you, little one. I'm here. Shh…everything's going to be alright…you're safe. No one's going to hurt you. I promised you," He comforted me. "Listen up, Belikov. We're not in practice anymore so let me be blunt. I will not let you ever come near Rose ever again. You had your chance with her and you walked away from her. You made her suffer so much that it almost killed her. So I promise to you that next time we cross paths, things won't be so friendly anymore. Am I clear?" Nathan yelled across the gym as he stroked my back. As I looked at Dimitri, he looked back and left quickly afterwards.

"Rose, why don't you go back to your dorm and take a shower. I'll see you later, alright?" I nodded. After a few minutes to calm down, I ran to my dorm room, got my stuff and took a shower. I had figured out and got my costume yesterday I was going as a naughty school girl. I had a white top that only covered my breasts with short sleeves, a checked skirt that tied at the side and barely covered my ass, also see through knee length stockings and black school shoes, altogether I looked, sexy. I wanted to look like this just to tease everyone. The top showed my belly button ring. It was a diamond one. I brushed my hair and left it down. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes were a bit red. Applying some quick makeup, I grabbed my bag and walked out. For once I wasn't late for breakfast.

On my way, I ran into Mason.

"Hey Mase, what you doing?" I asked coming up behind him.

"Nothing," he said and turned to face me. I swear his eyes could have fallen out of his head. "Wow, Rose you really want to get in trouble today don't you," He said after a minute of staring.

"So, what if I do? Nice costume. Let me guess a zombie," He nodded.

"Yep," He said still staring.

"And when did you get the belly ring?" He asked suddenly noticing it.

"I got it done whilst me and Lissa were away, you like?" I smirked.

"I definitely do," He said, still staring.

"Wipe the drool off your face, Mason. It's kind of grossing me out," I said with a grin on my face. I walked away and he followed. I walked into the cafeteria and as soon as I was in the room fell silent. I put on my man-eater smile and slowly walked to the counter and grabbed a chocolate glazed doughnut. As soon as everyone was recovered I was met with some wolf-whistles and even some calls of _'I didn't know you could get any hotter Hathaway' _or _'Hathaway, let me take you away' _or even _'Damn sexy bitch, damn girl'. _I walked to over to Eddie's table and sat down next to him. "Hey Eddie, I was wondering about your party tonight, is it still on?" I asked waiting for him to recover.

"Of course it is, just come to the dance. Then we'll all ditch and go to the spot in the woods," He finally said after a minute.

"Cool, I suppose I'll see you there. Oh, and by the way nice joker costume," I said commenting on his costume.

"Oh, thanks. I suppose I better get going. Oh and by the way nice costume yourself." I laughed at his comment and went to sit with Lissa who was dressed as superwoman; she had a long sleeve superwoman top on, a red skirt that was not too long and not too short, and knee length red boots. "Hey Lissa, nice costume," I said sitting across from her.

"Thanks, I would say nice costume to you but it's very naughty, not very nice," I laughed and started to eat. I finished in about a minute.

"Wow, Rose I've never seen anyone eat so fast," Christian said in a sarcastic tone from beside Lissa. "Not my fault. Anyways, what are you meant to be? A skinnier version of Superman?" I said laughing as I realized that what his costume was. He went quiet, not having anything to say back. "I'm gonna go; have fun, I've got a few pranks to set up," I said tapping my bag, because that was where the stuff I was gonna use was in.

"You really shouldn't Rose; you've already been in enough trouble this week." She said worried about me.

"Too late, I'll see you later. Bye," I said walking away with a slight grin on my face. I walked passed all the guardians on duty. I noticed that they stared when I walked passed. I laughed at that as I walked to my next class. I had Stan's class next and planned to get him good. I was gonna spill PVA all over him with confetti in it. I set up the bucket with the stuff in it at the top of the door, and tied a rope to the handle so it only fell on Stan, I would make sure I would get Stan he was always here last. As the classroom filled people noticed what I had done and began whispering to each other I made sure all the students were there, I noticed a shadow at the door this had to be him. When the door opened and someone came in I instantly pulled the rope and it fell on him. Well at least I thought it was him when someone had walked in, but it wasn't. It was someone tall, very tall, someone I recognized as Dimitri. _'Oh shit!'_ I was dead, actually I was worse than dead. _'Damn it!'_ I was in deep shit. Just then the classroom burst into laughter at the sight of the teacher covered in glue and confetti. I quickly ducked under my table hoping he hadn't seen me. I could hear him swearing in Russian and couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"Who did this?" Dimitri yelled once the class had stopped laughing. I knew he knew it was me. "Rosemarie Hathaway! Get out from under that table I know it was you," He yelled my full name. I had really pissed him off. _'Serves him right making me cry earlier.'_

"Hey, Comrade. Almost didn't recognize you under all the glue and confetti," I said, as I got out from under the table.

"Rose, that is not funny. Go outside now," I could tell he was keeping his anger under control in front of everyone else but once he got outside he wasn't going to be so much under control. I picked up my bag and walked -more like strutted out- of the classroom. He told me to go outside so I did. I went into one of the many schools garden, except this one was a maze. I was the only one ever to find my way through the maze; without needing help. I got to the middle and stood on the little platform that was built there, so I could see if anyone was coming. I could see one person coming, and it was Dimitri. _'Damn! How did he find me?'_ I quickly ran and got out of the maze, always remembering the way, because I came there frequently. I ran to an old tree house Lissa and I had found when we were little and used to hang out in. Nowadays, I just came here to get some peace and quiet. Before Dimitri had come along, I was wild, but now all I wanted to do was get some quiet. I sat on the roof and again saw Dimitri coming towards me. I quickly ran to the kid's playground on the elementary campus and hid in a tunnel. Again I saw Dimitri come in my direction. _'When would he ever give up? And how did he keep finding me?' _Again, I ran somewhere else, and he found me. Then another spot, and he found me. I kept going until finally he didn't find me. I had ended up in one of the cabins; it had a small bed, a sink, a small table and kitchen. It was dusty in here. The bed had a dusty old blanket and to match the dusty theme, a dusty pillow. I got out as much dust as I could before I lay down on top of the blanket exhausted.

"Rose? Rose wake up," Someone said to me. "Rose, wake up now." This time I recognized the voice it was Dimitri. I opened my eyes and sat up, too fast because my world spun.

"Damn," I muttered under my breath.

"Rose, what are you doing out here I told you to wait for me," He asked looking down at me with those gorgeous eyes.

"You didn't tell me to wait. You said to go outside so I did, but then you kept finding me so I came here and now you obviously found me again so I give up. You win," I said, clearly annoyed and scoffed. He must have had a shower before because the confetti and glue were gone. "How did you find me?" I asked suspiciously.

"I, umm, kind of followed you a lot while I was here," He said blushing slightly. I was suddenly angry he had followed me, in my own time. _'Why wasn't anything kept a secret? Why did I have to have this stupid life?'_

"You what?" He looked at me, obviously caught off guard. I clenched my fist. _'What a stalker!'_ I stood up, beyond furious. But because he didn't answer, I stormed out.

"Rose! Roza, wait!" He chased after me this time.

"No! No more Roza and no more waiting. I'm sick and tired of you. I try to love you. I try to tell you I love you and every time, you end up treating me like shit. It was your problem you left with that bitch of yours. You were well aware of what you were doing. DAMN IT! YOU KNEW HOW I FELT!" I screamed at him. He looked away guiltily.

"Rose…let me explain," He tried to reach for my wrist but I slapped it back.

"There's nothing more that needs to be said," I whispered. As I started to leave, he grabbed my wrist and turned me around.

"Rose! Belikov! Get away from her!" It was Nathan. Suddenly without warning, Dimitri suddenly kissed me, stopping Nathan in his tracks. _'What the-'_ I pushed Dimitri back and slapped him.

"You bastard!" I screamed. Nathan rushed over and pushed him back.

"I warned you not to touch her, Belikov. I care for her now," Nathan quickly took my wrist, helping me escape. "Are you okay?" He asked while we walked to my room. I didn't answer, using little effort to gain back my hand. Nathan kept a tight grip on me though. "Are you okay?" He asked again. I stopped walking and he kept going, eventually coming to an abrupt stop knowing that my mood was not one to be trifled with. _'Dimitri...just what is he planning?_' When we got to my room, Nathan used his master key to open my door. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll check up on you later. I might be on duty or whatnot when it's time for the party so I'll get someone to wake you if I don't make it back in time. Alright?" He wiped some tears that trickled onto my pillow as I silently cried. "Shh…get some rest. You'll need it later for that party of yours that you're going to. I believe hosted by Mr. Castile," At this point, even though if the guardians weren't supposed to find out about the party, I didn't care. I had no energy to fight anyone at the moment. As I laid on the bed, still silently crying, Nathan tried to leave.

"No, wait!" I called out. He turned to look at me.

"Yes, dear one?" He came back to my bedside. "Do you need something?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No…it's nothing," I whispered. Nathan bent down to me, kissed me on the forehead. "Thank you…Nathan," I whispered. He smiled and stroked my hair a bit before leaving.

"Oh, and Rose," I looked at Nathan. "I might be on my shift so if I don't make it back in time to wake you, I'll get Belikov to come wake you so play nice. I know you love him still. It's so apparent in your eyes. I'm not saying you have to forgive him, but look at it from his point of view. He loves you. And seeing your favorite girl being taken by some stranger, well, it isn't exactly the best ego and pride raiser. Cut him some slack if not for you, at least for me then. Alright?" I thought about what he said and nodded. He was right and I knew it. "Promise?" He asked again.

"Yes. I promise. Oh, hey, are you coming to Eddie's party?" I asked since he already knew about it. "Haha, I don't know. I'll keep it in mind though," Nathan finally left the room. _'Thank you, Nathan.'_

**Wow, Dimitri really is taking the wrong approach at this. Well, he better kick it into gear if he wants Rose back. On a side note, please review. I'm not asking for a certain number because that would be mean, but the number of reviews for a chapter has been dropping so I want to keep it to at least five per chapter, if that's alright with you guys!**

**Also, I'm updating more frequently than I expected. But maybe it's because you guys are the best for loving this fanfiction. Another thing is thank you so much Rachel-rob-Sandwich for letting me adopt this story. Most of this story is still hers thanks to her wonderful ideas. Later on it'll continue off from her seventeen pre-written chapters. So enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Masked Caper

**So here's chapter 6! Thanks so much for the many reviews made by: xXx-CiCi-xXx, Dimka's chick, kimmy32, loventherussian17, roseskyangel, , sasukes-number-1-lover, vampirefairy09, snowgoose, and Rose'Dimitri'x! You guys are amazing! Keep reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own VA or the plot!**

**Chapter 6**

"Roza, wake up," Dimitri gently shook me.

"What's happening?" I mumbled from where I lay.

"I've got to go to work and you've got a dance to go to, so I suggest you get up," As soon as he said about the dance I shot up.

"Careful. No need to rush," Dimitri stroked my face for a bit. "How are you feeling? Then again I don't have the right to ask that, do I?" He looked sorry.

"Look, Dimitri. I'm really sorry. It was terrible of me have done all that to you. I was just…venting…and Lissa's…darkness…" Suddenly he shushed me.

"I know sweetheart. I know. I'm sorry on my behalf too," He held me for a bit. Suddenly he pushed me away, feeling my forehead. "Rose, you're running a temperature. You sure you're alright?" I nodded in a daze.

"I'll be fine. Don't…worry," He gave me a worried look and one last kiss before leaving. I quickly found my clothes and got changed. When I found them, I was a bit shocked that I had forgotten about my costume. _'Oh well, I still liked it.'_ I quickly walked out the door, looking around to make sure no one was there. I ran back to my dorm and quickly had a shower, even though I wouldn't have minded smelling like Dimitri. I checked the clock 5:30. _'Damn. Late again! Oh well.'_ I got out the dress I was wearing to the dance and Eddie's party. I was going to be a pirate; a sexy pirate to be exact. I walked out of my dorm and headed towards the commons, where the dance was being held.

"Wow, Rose, you've really out done yourself this time," Mason said, coming up behind me. He was dressed as a werewolf.

"Nice costume yourself, and who is this?" I asked suddenly noticing a blonde girl that was beside him. "This is Caroline, my girlfriend. Caroline, this is Rose Hathaway, my best friend," He said introducing us.

"Nice to meet you, Caroline. I'm glad he's finally found someone," I said shaking her hand.

"Really huh, because he's been saying he's had heaps of girlfriends. Well since I'm not allowed to hit him since I'm his girlfriend and I don't know how to, would you? Just don't break anything," She said giving Mason a playful smile. His had turned to a look of horror.

"It'd be my pleasure." I said going up to Mason who was in a state of shock and punching him in the arm.

"Ahhh...Rose! You punched me," Mason said rubbing his arm.

"No duh. Just glad to help, I'm gonna go have fun," I said walking away grinning.

"Hello Little Dhampir, I haven't seen you in ages. Where have you been?" It was Adrian; he was dressed as the mayor from monopoly. _'Haha, so adorable!' _

"Nowhere. I've got to go Adrian. I'll see you around," _'Not.'_

"Okay, goodbye my sweet." He said, probably watching me walk away. I shivered a bit.

Then, I bumped in to someone as I was headed through the door to the commons. "Hey, so we meet again. I was wondering if I might just see you again," It was Andrew. He was dressed as The Terminator. And I must say he was a pretty hot terminator.

"Well you have. You coming to Eddie's party later?" I asked. He could be good for me, as a friend. "Yeah, I was heading there now. Wanna come with me?" He said, sounding hopeful I would say yes. "Sure I've just got to talk to someone. Wanna come?"

"Sure," Andrew agreed quickly. I walked in and all eyes fell on me. But, one pair of eyes I could feel on me, Dimitri's. I looked over to where he was standing and gave him a light smile. I then looked for Lissa. She was dressed as a Roman lady and saw her with Christian dressed as another Roman person. They were standing with Mason and his girlfriend. Mason was in the same costume, but Caroline was dressed as a cavewoman. I walked over and stood in front of them, "Hey peoples. What are you guys doing?" I asked coming up behind Lissa and pulling her into a hug. She panicked for a second but then realized it was me and turned and gave me a hug back. "Nothing we were just looking for you." "Oh ok, well I'm gonna go to Eddie's party so I'll see you guys later. Have fun," I waved.

"Bye Rose, and behave," I suddenly burst into laughter than abruptly stopped, giving her a look she knew well. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Bye," I said walking away.

As I walked to the door I looked over to Dimitri and gave him a wave. He just watched me with weary eyes as I went out the door.

"Took your time, can we go now?" Andrew said walking next to me.

"Yeah, alright. Let's go," I said walking with him to the spot in the woods. When we got there, suddenly I saw a person walk past us. He had a cape and a mask on. _'God that guy is hot!'_ Whoever he was, he strode in like a prince almost. _'I wonder if he's a royal. Since when did Eddie know any royals besides Lissa and Fire Boy?' _

"Hey! You coming or what?" Andrew called out to me. The man turned at me and smiled. A scent suddenly lingered in the air. It wasn't Dimitri's scent though. This was almost unknown to me. _'Who is this guy?'_ Before I knew it, apparently Andrew had entered without me. The man in the cape and knight costume still looked at me though. _'Is it Dimitri? But last I saw him, he didn't seem to have a costume. So…'_ I took time to think of it. _'Nathan! It's Nathan!'_ When I had a shocked look on my face, the man laughed out loud suddenly pulling out a flower.

"A rose for beauty," He took a rose flower and put in my hair. I just nodded as I suddenly felt nauseous.

"Nathan, is that you?" He quickly took off the mask.

"Yeah, what's up? You don't look too well. Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. I swayed a bit. "Careful!" He stabilized me.

"Yeah…I'll be fine…"

"Come on, why don't you party for a bit? Try to enjoy yourself for as much as you can. And when you feel really bad, come look for me. I'll just be monitoring for illegal activities," Nathan felt my forehead before putting his mask back on. "Just take it easy though. You have a slight fever," I nodded. Finally, I entered the cabin with Nathan. _'Here goes nothing.'_

**Well, that certainly can't be good. But hm…Nathan…certainly is interesting. Well, let's see what happens later. More reviews=faster update! Oh! And for reviews, if you want, tell me who you want to win Rose over. Just for fun. I'll take an overall tally and though I won't share the score, since I want to keep it a surprise, I'll keep the winning choice in mind. This is not a poll, but just in review format. **

**Also, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like another 10 reviews perhaps. Please and thank you! **


	7. Chapter 7: Darkness's Wrath

**So here's chapter 7! Thanks to roseskyangel, snowgoose, , lexi11197, LadySycotic, xXx-CiCi-xXx, and kimmy 32 for reviewing! This chapter is long, but it's a good one so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any VA characters nor do I own this plot! **

**Chapter 7**

_At the Halloween party…_

I remember coming here almost every weekend before we came back. But when we came back and Dimitri had entered my life, I had grown serious. But, when he had left I'd decided to start again and go back to my old self, still as serious in training just not as serious otherwise. '_I wish I could go back to my carefree childhood where the only problems were homework, teachers, boys and what you were going to throw at the teacher next.'_ I sighed, walking to the party to see all the girls dancing and boys just talking and drinking. The only habit I was not going back into was drinking alcohol. I still had to stay sober for Lissa. _'Oh well I was still going to have fun anyways.'_ I joined the dancers in the middle of the crowd and started dancing to the music. It was great. I suddenly felt so alive and happy all of a sudden that it seemed like I didn't have a care in the world. I guess that's what parties do to you. Well Dimitri could do that to me to, as I'd recently found out back in the cabin.

"Hey Rose nice moves!" Someone called out to me and I turned to face whoever it was. It was Jesse. "Say anything about me even if it's a complement and I'll show you a move..." His smile widened as I said I'd show him a move. "It's called how to punch Jesse's face in, want a demo?" I asked. His smile turned into a frightened look as he realized what I had just said. _'Ha! Teaches him to mess with me._

_God! I just realised what the song was Justin Beiber. Yuck!'_ I went to the stereo and put on a good song called 'Club can't handle me' by Flo Rida. I grabbed Nathan's arm and made him dance with me, when I spotted him. Not in a ballroom way, but rather in a 'this-is-a-club' way. I had a great idea that just came into my head, games! I turned off the music. "Everyone who wants to play games, come over here and sit in a circle or you can just watch. Also, the prize for winning is a kiss on the cheek from me," Nearly every boy rushed over except for those who had their girlfriends watching over them. I turned the music back on, and sat to face the players a there were allot.

"Ok first is truth or dare. Oh and I'm first," I announced and most people groaned. I could see that Mason , Eddie, Andrew, and Nathan joined in. Although, even though Nathan was participating, he was more of keeping an eye on me so I wouldn't pass out.

"I choose Eddie, since it's his party. Truth or dare?" I asked.

"Dare," He said, trying to be tough.

"I dare you to kiss Kirova on the lips whilst trying to take her top off, and when she pushes you away you have to run to the nearest guardian and scream sexual harassment ten times. Also, you have to make it back here without getting caught," I said and everyone else laughed except Eddie who looked like he was about to die.

"Ok," he said after a while. He got up and started walking off, I followed.

"Everyone wait at the edge of the trees. Then, run back when you see us coming back," I yelled behind me, they all looked disappointed but nodded. Once we were out of the trees Eddie and I ran across campus to the Kirova's office. Once we were there he knocked. When she said the traditional 'Come in' he walked and left the door open, it was the rules someone had to witness the dare. He quickly walked up to her and kissed her whilst trying to take her top off. She pushed him back and looked shocked, I swear if I wasn't hiding I would be cracking up laughing. He then spotted the nearest guardian, which just happened to be Dimitri and yelled sexual harassment ten times in his face before running away. I smacked my forehead only to realize that my temperature had risen. _'I'd better be careful…_' I rushed out of my hiding place before Dimitri came to his senses and ran as fast as I could, catching up to Eddie across campus, bursting out in laughter whilst running. When the others saw us, they quickly retreated. I looked over my shoulder and stopped laughing, realizing why they had retreated so fast. They hadn't retreated that fast because they saw I was coming. No, they saw Dimitri looking furious. He must have found out what had happened with Kirova. _'Damn! I knew this wasn't gonna end well.' _Luckily, I had taken off my heels earlier and could run faster. I ran as fast as I could back to my dorm room. I quickly unlocked the door to my room. And sat there waiting for him to come by my room. I slid against the door and realized my vision swirled a bit. _'Shit. This isn't good.'_ I tried to reach my cell phone only to find it not in my pocket. _'Damn. Left it at the party.'_ I stood up again and headed back.

So half an hour later, I was back to the spot in the woods. I hope Eddie had gotten away. If not, well, I'd be the one going to his funeral. _'Ehehe…oops.'_ Once I was there I could hear music, so I knew Dimitri hadn't found out. I walked in and was greeted with applause. I looked and spotted everyone in the circle even Eddie. "So you made it. Boy, I thought we were both goners," I said smiling.

"Well it was pretty hard to get rid of Belikov, but I managed. Oh and by the way I choose you. So, take your pick. Truth or dare?" He asked although he already knew the answer.

"Dare!" I yelled and everyone cheered. They all knew I was the best and unbeatable at this game.

"Ok. I dare you to go dress in your most revealing clothes, then run up to Guardian Belikov kiss him and run away, and since you made me scream out sexual harassment 10 times I'll make you do that too, whilst running away from him," He said a devilish grin on his face.

"Deal," I said this was gonna be fun. "Come on Eddie, lets go!" I yelled out into the night.

"No, you're not going," Nathan held my arm tight as a vice grip. I winced a bit.

"Why not?" I yelled. "I can do it!" Nathan felt my forehead.

"Um…Guardian Nathan, if I may. Is Rose not feeling well?" Nathan nodded and I pouted.

"Rose, you're burning up." I pushed Nathan away.

"I'm still doing it!" I made a face at both of them. I ran to my dorm room and Eddie, as well as Nathan, caught up. "Stay here," I said to Eddie closing the door in his face. I went to my wardrobe and did as he said. I got my most revealing clothes which was a purple and blue sequined tube top and a black mini-skirt. I also put on my thongs because my feet were getting sore and he said most revealing. I looked in the mirror and I looked sexy. I walked out, "Come on we don't have all day," I said walking past a stunned Eddie as well as Nathan whose face was so red it was like a tomato. "And stop staring at my ass!" I yelled at them knowing they were. We walked around for about ten minutes before we finally found him. "Ok, you stay here and I'll go. As soon as he chases after me, start running towards the woods I'll lead him away. Got it?" I whispered. They nodded, yet Nathan seemed reluctant to leave me behind.

"Rose…" I gave him a distinct look and he gave in, staying with Eddie. I ran out of the bushes ran up to a surprised Dimitri, kissed him for a couple of seconds, then started running and screaming.

"Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment! Sexual harassment!" I screamed whilst laughing as I ran away from a surprised Dimitri. I didn't know where I was running to but I just kept going. I could just hear him behind me and knew I needed to hide. _'But where?'_

I quickly jumped into a bush held my breath and saw him race past in the direction I was going. I ran the opposite way knowing he would figure it out soon. I looked over my shoulder after a minute of running and didn't see anyone so I quickly ran back to the party to be met by cheers. I looked around and sure enough Eddie was there. I sank to my knees.

"Rose! Are you alright?" I nodded. Somehow it was getting hard to breathe now.

"Yeah…I'll be…fine…I just…need to…rest…" After a few minutes, I stood up again.

"Ok, Mason you're choice now," I said after a few minutes of getting my breath back from laughing and running at the same time. He chose Caroline of course; and she said truth.

"How many guys have you slept with?" Mason asked, and Caroline went pink in the cheeks. "Two and they were both boyfriends of mine." She said truthfully. Caroline turned to me.

"I want you to say truth, but you can choose dare if you want," She said to me.

"Ok then. Truth, I guess." I simply answered. _'Who knows what she'll ask?'_

"How many have you slept with?" She asked. I blushed just slightly. "How many what? Nah I'm joking, only one guy," I said looking her straight in the eye. There went my reputation, ruined. "What? One, I thought... wow…Rose with all those rumors..." Someone said from the crowd.

"Next is Andrew to choose. And wait, who has the time?" I asked.

"It's 2am, I got to go now that I've seen it," Whoever it was, said.

"I'll stay for another hour then I'll go. I choose... Mason! Truth or dare?" _'This was gonna be fun.'_ "Dare, even though I know its suicidal," He said. I laughed maniacally and for a split second, I saw him flinch. _'Hmm, what to do to Mason?'_ I checked in on Lissa and saw she was having some _'quality time' _with Christian in the church attic. Perfect, finally I could use the bond to my advantage.

"I dare you to sneak into the church's attic and scream 'I'm telling' in a really girly five year old voice," I said, and a look of confusion spread on everyone's face. "Just do it, this time we'll all come," I said hopping up and heading towards the church through the trees.

"Are you coming with me?" He asked as soon as we were out side of the church. "No I've got my own surveillance system," I said winking, knowing he had no idea what I was talking about.

2minutes later...

"I'm telling...! Ahhh! Rose you disgusting, evil, daughter of a bitch, I'm gonna kill you. I'll never be able to see again!" Mason yelled running out of the church. I cracked up laughing, and so did the others. "Have fun watching them Mase? You should see your face right now. It's a laugh." He just got redder. "Well peoples I'm off to bed, even though it's a Sunday. Tomorrow I have practice with Nathan and my Russian jailor. Bye Peoples!" I called walking off swaying my hips to a song I have stuck in my head. _'Oops better not do that anymore. I've still got my miniskirt on.' _Suddenly mid-hallway, my legs gave out.

"Rose!" Nathan came to me like a lightning bolt. "Rose, are you okay?" I tried to laugh but ended up coughing a bit. I bent over as I couldn't focus any longer, collapsing to the floor. "Damn, I told you to stop. Why didn't you listen to me?" I could hear the worry in his voice, but had no strength to respond at all. I felt him pick me up and rushed me to my room. When he put me on my bed and felt my forehead, he flinched. "I'm not surprised if you are at one hundred degrees already," He took out his phone and I think he called Olendzki. When a knock came at the door, I saw Dr. Olendzki come in. _'Yep, I was right.' _My vision at this point came back, but I still couldn't move much. She pulled out an injection from her coat and I flinched.

"No," I growled.

"Rose, it'll make you better a lot faster," Nathan scolded me.

"I don't care! I hate needles and I hate doctors!" I rejected Olendzki. When the doctor came closer, I took every ounce of strength I had and pushed her into my desk.

"Rose…"Nathan gave me a disappointed look. I collapsed onto my bed, still growling while Nathan helped Olendzki. _'Shit. Darkness is starting to manifest.'_ I tried to hold back my anger. Nathan picked up the injection and I got defensive.

"Do you have a better method?" Nathan asked Olendzki. She nodded.

"I can prescribe her pills but-"Suddenly a knock came at the door, actually more like a pounding. Nathan opened the door and Dimitri barged in.

"Rose! Rose, what's wrong?" He held me to him.

"Guardian Belikov!" Nathan exclaimed.

"She's not sick. Well, she is. But it's not her fault. Princess Vasilisa has been practicing spirit on her own as well as with Lord Ivashkov. That's what's hurting her," I struggled through Dimitri's grip.

"Let go!" I screamed. Dimitri refused to budge. More darkness spread throughout my mind and I realized my teeth grew sharper. _'I have fangs?'_ I kept wriggling in Dimitri's arms, but he still kept a firm hold on me. "No! I said let go!" I cried out now. _'Hurt him. That's right. Hurt him like the monster you are.'_ A whisper came through my mind. "No!" I pushed harder. Suddenly, I did something I regretted. I bit Dimitri's neck. I felt Dimitri tense. I couldn't stop myself. Dimitri pushed me away quickly and touched his bleeding neck. I collapsed onto the bed sobbing. At this point, I surprised just about everyone. When Nathan tried to approach me, Dimitri held him back.

"Don't touch her. I'll take care of it. You guys go to the church attic and stop Lissa and Christian. Her feelings are spreading spirit around aimlessly," Nathan looked back at me as I cried into my pillow, scared of what I was becoming. Olendzki followed Nathan. Only Dimitri stayed in my room.

"Rose? You alright now?" I flinched as he touched my wet cheek. I was shaking.

"Shh…you're okay now. Alright? You're okay now. I've got you," He had tears welling in his eyes.

"G…Go…away…" Dimitri shook his head.

"I won't leave you. I made that mistake once. I won't do it again," He told me. Suddenly he picked me up again, putting me onto his lap. "If you need blood to control the darkness, take mine," He offered. I pushed him away shaking my head. "Do it! It's the only way, you know that," I hesitated by all means. _'I can't hurt him. I can't do this to him. I refuse to.'_ I looked at Dimitri. _'I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…'_

"I'm sorry," I whispered. He closed his eyes, waiting for me to bite. However, I couldn't let that happen. Instead, I used darkness's power to push him back.

"Rose!" I ran to my window, opening it, then jumping out of my room. "Rose!" I started running from the school. _'I can't stay here. At this rate, I'll turn into a monster.'_ When I couldn't hear Dimitri's voice anymore, I knew he would start pursuing. My head pounded as I escaped completely from the school grounds, heading to the closest city which actually wasn't too far away. I kept running no matter how tired I was. Soon, the sun came up and it was morning time for humans. It worked to my advantage for the reason that people would be opening shop and everything. I finally slowed to a walking pace as darkness receded after expending so much of it. "Find her and bring her back!" I turned to the voice and saw Dimitri with a decent amount of guardians. _'Shit. Why is he here?'_ I was in his line of view so I didn't move. If I did, he would totally see me. Instead, I pretended that I was examining an apple since the marketplace was open. I heard the guardians disperse. What sucked the most was that Dimitri was coming down the street, approaching me in fact. I turned to look at the opposite side of the street and saw the back of a store where some workers were cleaning some vegetables. If I fled in there, maybe they would stop. As I moved, Dimitri called my name out again. _'Damn he's persistent.'_

"Rose!" _'Damn. Here comes Nathan too.'_ I ran into the back part of a store. The guys working saw me run in and I guess it was an instinct to protect a girl from men trying to chase her down. They stood up blocking the way.

"Follow me!" A boy my age yelled as I followed him. "Why are those men chasing you?" He asked.

"Long story," He nodded. Soon enough Nathan and Dimitri caught up.

"By the way, my name's Alexander. Nice to meet you, Rose," We kept running.

"H-how?" I asked, trying to find out how in the world he knew my name.

"The man chasing us called out Rose, right?" I nodded. Finally the guardians cornered us in the middle of a street. Alexander put his arms out, protecting me. "Do not touch this girl," He warned Dimitri. I had to hand it to the boy, he really wasn't afraid of someone like Dimitri.

"We're not here to hurt her. She escaped from our school. We just want her back," He tried to coax the boy to handing me over. Seeing the looks on Nathan and Dimitri's face to no end, terrified me. I tried to run, but Nathan and some guardians cut me off. I tried to look around for an exit.

"You can't escape," Nathan called out. As Dimitri and Nathan closed in, I panicked. Alexander and I frantically looked for some sort of exit. Finally, I ran back in the same direction towards the shop and the men who were protecting me were shocked.

"Go to Alexander! They are here looking for you!" The men yelled. I looked around for something sharp. I spotted a knife that ironically, looked like a stake or a dagger of some sort. Nathan was the weaker of the two so I had to fight him. I pointed the dagger at him and Nathan got into a defensive stance.

"Don't do this!" Nathan yelled. I charged at him as he fought back with a stake. Each blow I gave, he managed to fight me off. The darkness was supplying me with endless amount of power due to the instinct of survival. I fought hard, almost as if I was fighting a strigoi. Dimitri and Alexander only could watch. Because of the darkness, within due time, I won over Nathan, stabbing the dagger next to his neck so he would acknowledge the fact he lost. But what surprised me was now, I was gasping for air almost, tired as hell, and unable to move.

"Rose!" Dimitri tried to run over.

"It's alright, Guardian Belikov, it's over. Just stay there and watch," Nathan panted a bit, looking deep into my eyes. He didn't even flinch. _'What is he talking about? It's over because I won.' _Not long after, I figured it out. A sharp pain hit my heart and lungs and I gasped in pain. He waited. I quickly got off Nathan, tired as hell. "I'm not trying to hurt you. Don't move and just stay still," He told me. Obviously, being the one who'll never give up, I stood up no matter how much it took a toll on my body. Nathan tried to get up, but I had worn him down quite a bit too. Dimitri tried to get closer.

"I said stay away, Belikov. I'll take care of this," As Alexander caught me, I pushed him away.

"Rose, you're hurt," I panted as Alexander tried to help me.

"This…this is my…fight…" I rebelled. Suddenly I coughed up blood.

"Rose!" Nathan still tried to get up as I started swaying. My heart started beating irregularly, causing me to keep coughing up more blood. Finally I collapsed right onto Nathan. "Calm down. I've got you. I still remember my promise. And it's always a promise I'll keep no matter how many times I remind you," He stroked my hair as I coughed. My body shook in fear and pain.

"I won't let you go no matter who or what gets in my way," Nathan whispered in my ear. He laid me down on the ground and yelled at Dimitri to get the paramedics. He pushed on my chest causing more blood to come out. "I won't let you drown in your own blood. Not on my watch. Not while I still love you," I looked at Nathan. _'So he does love me.'_ My eyes started to close. "Stay with me! Rose, I order you to stay awake," He tried harder to keep me awake.

"I…can't…" Not much longer, my mind shut down as I collapsed on Nathan, losing all my strength supplied by the darkness. As I stayed on the ground, I heard the paramedics come. When they came, I tried to keep them away. Alexander seemed to watch in horror at what I was. _'You're a monster.'_ I shook my head. "Stay away from me!" The paramedics flinched and backed off as an aura of darkness burst from me. Nathan grabbed me quickly, holding me close to him.

"Let them do their job. I'll keep close watch. They won't hurt you," He placed me on a gurney and I fought back. "Rose, listen to me. Be a good girl, alright?" I still fought back.

"Rose, do what they say!" I saw Lissa now. _'I come first. Kill her. She's the cause of all this.'_ I broke free and picked the dagger up from the ground, wobbling as I fought to stay alive.

"Princess!" My head pounded as I finally blacked out onto the ground.

**Well, so here's the eighth chapter. If you guys can't tell, the darkness is slowly starting to manifest itself in Rose. Yes, it's starting to transform her. To what? That will be a secret for me to know and for you guys to find out later. And Nathan...what mysterious power does he have over Rose that allows him to control her? Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and of course, more reviews would be nice. (Because I updated twice in one day…ahem…)**


	8. Chapter 8: Nathan on the Offense

**So here's chapter 8! Thanks to milifemiway, Rachel-rob-Sandwich, roseskyangel, RinKira, Nicia, lastsacrifice, vampirefairy09, Rose'Dimitri'x, xXx-CiCi-xXx, and for reviewing! You guys are amazing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or this plot!**

**Chapter 8**

"Hey, look. She's coming to," I moved my hand a bit. As I opened my eyes, I saw Dimitri and Nathan stand close by. I looked around to see that I was in a hospital of some sort. A nurse was checking the IV drip that apparently was attached to my arm. Without a second thought, I pulled it out.

"Rose, calm down!" Nathan tried to hold me down.

"Don't touch me, both of you!" Dimitri and Nathan flinched.

"We're just trying to help," Dimitri responded. As he tried to touch me, I slapped his hand away.

"There was a reason I tried to leave. Why did you follow? GET A DAMN CLUE!" I burst out at them. "GET OUT!" I screamed. For a second, Nathan tried to leave, but Dimitri held him back.

"Hold your ground. Look at her, she's not acting like herself," Dimitri stated.

"I wasn't trying to leave. I wanted to get something. It'll soothe her pretty quickly if I know her well enough," Nathan smiled at me. _'What the hell is he up to?'_ He quickly left the room and disappeared for what seemed like a few minutes. Dimitri just stared at me as I stared back with a murderous intent. _'You have the chance to attack him. Do it!' _The whisper came back. I flinched and curled up.

"Rose, get a hold of yourself! Rose!" I gasped as the voice stopped. A chill went down my spine.

Suddenly a blanket was draped over me as Nathan came into my bed. He snuggled close to me and as his body's warmth radiated from him, I calmed down almost automatically. It was soothing.

"See? No need to scare her," Nathan stroked my hair. "She's already in a bad condition. We're not supposed to make it worse. Antagonizing her will only make it worse," I heard the nurse sigh as she left us in peace. "On the other hand, Rose, we do have a few questions we want to ask you. Is that alright?" I opened my eyes and thought about it for a moment. I nodded signifying that it was alright.

"Yeah, it's okay. I guess I have some explaining to do now," I sighed.

Nathan kissed my forehead. "Don't worry. We won't hurt you based on your answers. Just tell us the truth and that's enough," Nathan reassured me. "Also, if you don't want to answer, you don't have to. Just answer which ones make you comfortable enough to give us an answer, alright?" I nodded in response. "Okay, this is more for me, but why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?" I snuggled closer to Nathan as I was cold. He put his arm around me. "There, that should feel better," He pulled the covers up a bit.

"To be honest, I didn't know. I thought it was your basic cold. I just had a fever before I went to the party. To be honest, Dimitri first found out," Dimitri nodded. Nathan kept brushing my hair, now and then massaging my neck to keep me calm.

"How about this? Just tell us what was going through your mind the entire time," I hesitated on that. "Or you don't have to if you don't want to," Nathan quickly took back his question. _'Well, you'll have to tell them sooner or later.' _I sighed. As soon as I decided to start talking, I stopped. Nothing was stopping me, but I felt like the most important thing was to keep the two of them safe.

"I can't tell you anything. In fact, I won't say anything. The only thing I can tell you is that it's best to let me go. I shouldn't stay here. I'm just a risk to everyone…" I turned to look out the window.

"No, you're not a risk. You're just scared. That's all, and that's normal," He simply spoke. _'As if it's that easy.'_

"No, I'm not normal. What part of being shadow-kissed is normal? What part of having a bond connected to 'Princess Vasilisa' all the time is normal? I can't even have my own life because of her. I hate her. She did this to me!" I roared. _'That's right…it's all her fault. Get mad at her.'_ The whisper returned. I tried to ignore it but darkness bubbled right beneath my breaking part, threatening another outburst.

"You know you really don't think that. Things are hard for you. Fine, you're not normal. I'll give you that. But what part of you thinks you can't be?" Nathan asked.

"It's not what part of me thinks that, it's what my actions represent. Even if they weren't intentional, Dimitri's at least a living proof of that," Dimitri covered his neck, as if embarrassed to have a bite mark on him. "Dimitri, you said I could fight the darkness. You said that we would get through anything and everything together. What part of that was true? I can't fight the darkness anymore. Not when it helps me with my instinct of survival or when it gives me a good enough reason to attack," I looked directly into Dimitri's eyes. He quickly looked away. "Why do you constantly look away from me? All I've ever wanted was for you to acknowledge me, maybe love me. That's all you had to do. But-but you…you couldn't give me the time of day to even talk to you during that ski trip. You used Tasha as much as she is using you. Congrats. I really hope you'll be happy with her," I seethed while gritting my teeth.

"Rose, stop," He warned.

"You know you love me! You still do! What's stopping you?" I challenged Dimitri.

"I SAID STOP!" He finally roared at me like nothing before. I saw Nathan as he was angry. Finally, Nathan stood up and slammed Dimitri into a wall.

"You will NOT talk to her that way. Belikov, she is my student. And even if I hated her, I would still keep my promise. My promise of protecting her until my dying breath which you were all talk only," Nathan growled at Dimitri.

"They come first. The Moroi come first. You know that, Nathan," Dimitri warned.

"Really? Well then, tell the creator of that rule to screw them. People who come first are the people who need protecting the most. Rose is the most vulnerable one out of all of the Moroi and Dhampir, despite her ability to fight. In my world, she comes first. You can keep your rules to yourself and follow the princess like a guard dog, but I rather stand by Rose and become her guardian. And I don't care what people say about it," Nathan finally let Dimitri go. By now I was crying again. _'He seriously cares about the Moroi more than anything else, more than me.'_ "Get out of here, Guardian Belikov. I forbid you to oversee our practices anymore. Just as they were private time for you and her make out sessions, I will turn her into the best guardian there ever was. And I promise on this as well. She will be better than all guardians in the world," Nathan defended me. Dimitri finally gave me a sad look and left just as my sobs quieted. "Shh…he's gone. Don't worry. I'll protect you," Nathan held me quietly as he calmed me down. "Hey, if you're feeling better, do you want to leave? I'm sure you can leave the hospital now," I nodded as Nathan quickly headed out to see a doctor. In a couple of minutes he came back. "Yep. You're good to go. They called Olendzki and sent some medicine over for you. Just take that and you'll be fine. You'll be out of school for a while though. They said that your body's immune system weakened quite a bit so you need a bit of time to recover. Somehow after your little stunt with the darkness, it almost shut down your immunity system," I nodded. _'Wow. I didn't know the after effects were this severe.'_ Nathan helped pack my stuff up. Before I knew it, I was actually wearing my clothes. "Oh, that. Dimitri told the doctors how you hated the hospital gowns so he persuaded them to just hook you up with your normal clothes on," I got up and out of bed quickly.

"Thank you," I whispered. Nathan looked back and gave me a grin.

"There's nothing to thank for. As long as you are alright, then I'm glad," Nathan packed the rest of my stuff. "Hey, after we leave the hospital, how about some ice cream at the cafeteria at school? I heard today they have double chocolate brownie flavor," I smiled now.

"Of course! I wouldn't pass that anytime! It's my favorite!" He chuckled.

"That's my girl," I blushed a bit as he said that. He showed me his hand. "Come, let's go home," I took his hand as we left the hospital. _'It's strange. No matter how angry I am at Dimitri and Nathan, I can't seem to hate Nathan. There's something about him that's calming.' _As Nathan took me to the car, driving back, I grew restless as we approached the academy. "Are you alright?" He asked as I kept staring at the academy. _'Something feels wrong.'_ I became wary a bit, but whatever it was, I had no intention of letting Nathan and Dimitri find out.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Don't worry. I'm just tired," I lied. I felt Nathan stare at me worriedly.

"Alright, it's your call. Are you still up for ice cream at least?" He asked. I nodded.

"Of course I am. Don't worry, I'm fine," I lied again. Nathan nodded warily though. When we got back to the school's guardian and teacher's parking lot, Nathan grabbed my bags. "Ah! I can take them!" Nathan just smiled at me.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," He said as the two of us headed for my room. When Nathan unlocked it, everything stayed the same. That is, almost everything. On my desk was a bouquet of roses.

"What is this?" I was quickly cut off when I saw a card next to it. I picked it up.

_Dear Rosemarie Hathaway,_

_ How are you? I hope you are alright. I heard what happened with the darkness. Are you feeling better now? I know it must seem like a cheesy thing to do to write you a letter, but I hope you like the bouquet of flowers. Get well soon and I'll see you around._

_ Your secret admirer_

"Who is it from?" Nathan took a glance. "A secret admirer? Well, it's not Dimitri. You already know he likes you. And Andrew doesn't seem like the one to do something like this. However, what concerns me is how they knew about the darkness matter," _'Yeah…that sounds suspicious too.'_ I took the flowers anyways since it looked like it took quite a bit of effort to get. "Come on, you ready to go out for some ice cream?" I looked at the flowers again.

"Yeah, let's go," I put the card in my pocket and then headed to the cafeteria with Nathan.

"Stay here. I'll go get two cups of ice cream," It didn't take long for him though. "Here. Enjoy!" Both of us took a small scoop from our individual ice cream cups.

"Yum!" I smiled.

"Feel better now?" I nodded. _'Yum…chocolate.'_ However, during the middle of eating, I felt someone staring at us. When I looked, I saw a man in the corner watching. He wore something that looked like Dimitri's duster though. I got up suddenly though which worried Nathan. "Rose?" He saw the man too.

"Wait here," I told Nathan. I approached the man who didn't seem to move. He simply looked down as his cowboy hat covered his face. "Um…excuse me sir. You wouldn't happen to be the anonymous person who gave me a rose bouquet and a get well card, are you?" There was a silence. He turned around, back facing towards me and bowed a bit.

"Why yes, little missy, I am," I was shocked as I realized the man had a western accent like a cowboy from a western film. Soon, he walked off though without saying anything else.

"Hm…" Nathan came up to me.

"What?" I looked at Nathan as he looked at the man walking off.

"Oh, uh, nothing. Come on, finish your ice cream and then head off to bed to get some rest. If you're up for it, training can commence tomorrow," I quickly finished my ice cream.

"Done!" I grinned. Nathan brought me back to my room.

"Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow morning at your usual training time, alright?" I nodded. He waited until I got ready for bed. When I climbed into bed, he tucked me in. "Is that comfortable?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I quickly turned away. When he headed to the door, he looked like he was about to turn off the lights. "Uh, wait!" I stopped Nathan.

"Yes?" Nathan asked, somewhat confused.

"This may sound really pathetic, but can you leave the lights on?" He gave me a gentle smile.

"How about I stay here for the night and keep you company, but keep the lights off? Would that help?" He asked. _'Wow, I hadn't thought of that.'_ I nodded. "Uh…yeah…I guess if you're okay with it," I hesitated a bit. Nathan turned off the lights and climbed into bed with me.

"Go to sleep now and that's an order. You need your strength for tomorrow morning's training session," I snuggled up close to Nathan.

"Goodnight then," I mumbled, already almost asleep.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," He kissed my forehead before I completely fell asleep. "I love you, Rose," He added on. I smiled back.

**Well, some interesting things have happened. Who knew Nathan could tell Dimitri off like that? And who's the mystery admirer? It's not Dimitri and it's not Nathan. It's not Andrew and definitely not Jesse. Stay tuned to find out! Review and review! More reviews=faster update! You guys did a great job reviewing to the point we have hit 50 reviews! Keep it up!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Mysterious Stranger

**So here's chapter 9! Thanks to **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot.**

**Chapter 9**

'_BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...' _God damn that stupid alarm clock._ 'BANG!' _Well at least it shut up. I got up slowly, to find myself slightly dizzy with a big headache. I looked next to me to see Nathan already awake. He was sitting at the chair next to my desk. I completely ignored him though. For what reason, I didn't even understand. I still had an eerie feeling about school though. Anyways, I got changed into my warmer sports clothes; a dark blue singlet, gray sweatpants, a grey hoodie that said _'Will not shut up'_,and black converse with fluoro shoe laces. I also grabbed my new iPod touch-with the headphones- and blackberry phone as well as my gym bag. This took me about three quarters of an hour since for some reason I was extra tired.

"Are you feeling alright? If so, I'm going back to get changed and then meet you at the gym," He stated. I nodded.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," I lied. He nodded and left as I got ready. I walked out of my door only to see the worst person in the world Natasha Ozera.

"Hey Rose! I wanted to talk to you," She said coming up to me, an evil grin on her face.

"Yes, Lady Ozera?" I asked in my most polite tone. She leaned closer.

"Stay away from Dimitri, he's mine," She said right in my ear. I jerked back.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in my most innocent tone.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about now stay away from him bitch, he's mine," She said giving me a glare.

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you want someone to go to I could always call the mental hospital for you. Also, Dimitri can make his own choices. Once he says he wants you I'll believe you. But for now, remember I'm dangerous, lethal and don't forget deadly. You might want to not threaten me. Otherwise, you could somehow find yourself with a broken nose, and no idea how you got it," Shock registered on her face from my words. "Look, I'd love to stay and chat but I've got practice to go to," I said, as if none of the conversation we had was threatening. I walked away at a normal pace a slight smirk on my face. I walked into the gym to find Dimitri standing silently against the wall and Nathan in the middle of the floor. _'Great, something else added onto my boat load of problems.' _When I entered, none of them moved although I could feel Dimitri's eyes on me. He looked at me kind of strangely. It was almost like he was expecting some sort of different reaction from me.

"40 laps for being late," Nathan said not moving. I put on my best voice of Kirova to pitch a curve ball at Nathan for the hell of it and because I had the right since I was in a bad mood.

"I hope you're talking to someone else not me, otherwise you'll certainly be out of a job. And if you ever say that again I will make sure you permanently are out of a job," And it worked he jumped like half a mile in the air. _'Haha, idiot._' I heard a low chuckle from Dimitri and gave him a weird look which caused him to stop automatically.

"I'm so sorry headmistress, I thought you were..." He said looking up, not to see Kirova, but me.

"HATHAWAY!" He yelled. I laughed my head off at the sight of his face.

"Yes Nathan? What would you like?" I asked sarcastically. Nathan took a good look at my expression then looked back at Dimitri.

"Seventy laps!" He yelled. I suddenly glared at Nathan.

"Careful. I don't think this is a good day to punish her. Look at her expression," Dimitri noted right as my fangs grew out. I walked out onto the track and started hearing someone, presumably Dimitri, coming out after me. I started running the laps, only to find that on my second lap, I was feeling dizzy, slightly nauseous, and also out of breathe. Then I felt it. A slight taste in my mouth that told me to run to the toilets. I ran to the toilets, as fast as I could, locked the stall door behind me and whatever was in my stomach a second ago was in the toilet.

"Rose! Rose, are you alright?" Dimitri yelled from the other side of the door. _'God, why did he have to come after me?' _Then I heard another pair of footsteps come into the toilets.

"What's happened?" Nathan asked Dimitri.

"I think she's been sick, but she won't answer," He said back in a whisper, probably trying to keep me from hearing.

"You know I can hear you?" I said in a weak voice -even though it wasn't meant to sound like that- before I threw up again. My eyes started watering and my head ached, also I was sweating real badly.

"Rose, unlock this door now," Dimitri said in a stern voice. I coughed, failing to reach the door handle, afraid if I got up that I would hit my head like last time.

"Ok, Rose I'm going to have to climb under, from the stall next to yours, could you at least move to the right side?" Nathan asked from the over side. "Ok," I said moving over as far as I could with the last of my strength. He got his torso through but couldn't fit anymore so he reached and unlocked the door. He then slid back under. Luckily the door swung to the left so it didn't hit me when he came in through the door.

"Oh Rose, let's get you out of here," Nathan said picking me up. We walked passed Dimitri and out the door, through the gym double doors, past students who stared, and finally got to the infirmary.

Dimitri then yelled for help, and was told to bring me into room 12 and lay me down on the bed.

As I lay down the softness of the bed nearly made me drift off to sleep, nearly, but I held on.

"What happened?" Dr. Olendzki asked Dimitri and Nathan. "Well, one second she was out on the track fine, the next, racing to the bathroom to get rid of her breakfast, and by that I mean being sick," He said. I could feel both of their stares on my face. I closed my eyes hoping sleep would come and take away the pain, but of course that couldn't happen for me though. I quickly scrambled up off the bed and went into the small bathroom to throw up again. Instantly slumping over the toilet after.

"Rose!" Nathan yelled, running after me. I threw up again, but this time not as much. While Nathan rubbed my back, I had Dimitri holding my hair back.

After another five minutes someone, I'm presuming Nathan, carried me back to the bed.

"Do you think she's asleep?" Someone asked someone else. So I groaned to say I wasn't. "Nope," Adrian spoke up. _'Wait Adrian was here, damn!'_

"I think you should go, Lord Ivashkov and get some sleep. I only rang for you to tell Vasilisa, not for you to come here yourself," Someone said to him. _'Damn, who was that talking?'_

"I think only one person should stay. The rest of you go wait in the waiting area or go get some sleep," Dr. Olendzki said. "And I think that should be Guardian Nathan because, he is the one to have brought her in. Of course, unless you have somewhere else to be." Someone that mysterious person said. I thought I heard a bit of a threat in her voice, like if Nathan didn't stay she would do something to him. _'Please don't tell me it's that old bitch, Tasha.'_ I prayed.

"No, it is no problem. I have no patrols today," Nathan said in his guardian voice, so I knew this was someone important he was talking to, but who? I could hear shuffling of feet, the door closing and then the scrape of a chair. I opened my eyes to see Nathan's beautiful brown ones watching me.

"You're still awake. I thought you had fallen asleep. You should sleep. It will make you feel better," Nathan said.

"Please don't leave whilst I'm asleep, I don't want to be alone," I said, well more like pleaded.

"I promise I will make sure there is always someone in this room with you." He promised. I nodded then drifted off into a very familiar dream. I was in a beautiful big garden, with a big array of flowers; I was also in a beautiful thigh length orange dress.

"Adrian?" I yelled angry, damn I hated these dreams.

"Yes my beautiful Rose?" He said coming out from behind a bush, he of course was in very expensive jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

"Let me go back to sleep," I huffed.

"You are asleep, for the millionth time." He said a small grin on his face.

"Well then suppose I went to sleep in this dream what would happen?" I said being a bit of a smart ass.

"I'm not sure, although please don't, something might happen to you." He said.

"Fine then let me out. Otherwise, I'll go to sleep in this dream," I said an evil grin on my face.

"Fine, sweet dreams my little Dhampir and love," He said before the dream disappeared.

And I went back to an almost dreamless sleep.

"Is she awake yet?" Someone, that voice I couldn't place before said. _'No, wait. This one is different.'_ "No, still sleeping. She has the worst nightmares. I believe one was all her family and friends getting killed," Nathan said worried. Just the memory of the dream made me shudder.

"Yes, well don't we all dread that? Look I've got to go, but I'll be back soon I've got some very strange business to attend to," Someone said, and I could hear them walk out then close the door. _'That voice was the cowboy from before. Who is it? Is it Dimitri?'_

I opened my eyes and looked over to see Nathan slumped in the visitor's chair.

"Who was that?" I asked startling him.

"I can't tell you, only if he wishes to tell you, you will know. Are you alright do you need anything? Are you in pain?" He asked after giving me that mysterious answer. I could feel my head thudding, like someone had hit me with a baseball bat. My bones ached even though I hadn't moved, and wow my stomach was empty. But I wasn't about to worry him.

"No, I'm fine." I lied. "What about you? Have you even slept?" I asked looking at his face, and the bags under his eyes.

"On and off, I was waiting for you to wake up," He said.

"Well then, since I'm a big girl and can take care of myself... Where's the bucket?" I asked cutting off my sentence. He pulled it out, and I leaned into it, throwing up. _'God, how much did I have in my stomach?'_ Luckily someone had thought to put my hair up in a bun so it didn't get in my way.

"Doctor!" He yelled while I threw up a second time.

Dr. Olendzki raced into the room. "What happened?" She asked then she saw me with my head in the bucket. Then, I threw up again.

After that I could feel my stomach settle and knew it was over. For now, I laid my back against the pillows. _'Yuck, did I hate that horrible taste.'_ I looked and on the little table next to me was a glass of water and a hand cloth. I used the hand cloth to wipe my face, than chugged down the water.

"Are you alright Rose?" Dr. Olendzki asked watching me as though I might bolt for the door at any moment.

"You're seriously asking me that?" I asked raising both my eyebrows at her. I so wanted to know how people did that one eyebrow thing.

"Well, I guess I was, but now that I think about it, it's a pretty stupid question. I guess the real question is; what pain are you feeling?" She said.

"I've got a headache, my bones ache, my throat is sore and I'm hungry," I answered, but before the doctor could say anything someone burst through the door.

"Dimitri, I need to talk to you alone," Tasha, that bitch said.

"I can't right now Tasha; I'll talk to you later," Dimitri said, obviously they'd been in a fight.

"I'll be back," Dr. Olendzki said walking out the door.

"I need to talk to you, away from her," She said 'her' as if she was talking about some venomous thing.

"Excuse me, but I believe he said he is busy. And anyways, if you're talking about me, you can say whatever you have to in front of me," I said sitting up.

"Don't talk to me like that, you ungrateful little bitch. I'm talking to Dimitri, not you, so butt out," She said turning to face her glare on me.

"No," I said plain and simple.

"What did you just say?" She asked pretending like she didn't care. And boy, did we say some mean things to each other. But she'd had enough, she walked right up to me and before I could or Dimitri could do anything she slapped me. I was in shock for a moment. I, of course, being Rose Hathaway drew up all my power that I had left and punched her right in her lousy nose, and of course heard the satisfying crunch which told me I had broken it. Nathan quickly restrained me.

"Rose, don't go there. You know what happened last time," He warned. _'I'm sorry. It's too late.'_ My transformation had begun and my fangs grew out.

"You…" Tasha started. As I growled, she knew her life was in jeopardy.

"Rose, calm down!" Nathan pulled me back more.

"Get out of my way, bastard," I pushed Nathan back as darkness took over. Dimitri tried to hold Tasha back.

"Restrain her!" Dimitri ordered Nathan. I glared at Dimitri and pounced onto him. Catching him off guard, we wrestled on the floor. In typical occasions, it wouldn't take long for Dimitri to take me down. However, with added powers, I had the advantage. We rolled around on the floor until Dimitri lost. I growled at him and went for his neck. Before I bit him, I heard him gulp. _'STOP! He's not your target!' _I stopped just in time to see Dimitri underneath me. Then I turned back to Tasha.

"You had your chance, Lady Ozera," I tackled her. She tried to shoot fireballs at me, but the darkness power created a barrier of some sort that absorbed her power. I finally picked her up and threw her against the wall. Nathan quickly got in front of Tasha.

"Get out of my way!" Nathan stood his ground. "I said get out of my way!"

"Stand down! And that is an order, Rose!" Nathan commanded me for the first time. When I took time to figure out what had happened, the transformation reverted back. I started crying.

"THIS IS WHY I NEVER WANTED TO COME BACK!" I screamed.

"Rose!" I finally ran out the infirmary, away from Dimitri, away from Tasha, away from Nathan, and away from everyone, especially myself. "Rose, come back!" Nathan yelled. I felt him running behind me. "Rose!" I ran faster. I had to leave. It was the only choice I had. I was becoming a monster and I knew it. When I looked up, I saw my 'secret admirer' blocking my way.

"Nuh uh, little missy. You shouldn't be running away again," He said in his accent as he opened his arms to me. Again, I was cornered by Nathan and whoever this guy was. "Now now, little missy, this ain't fight you can win," The stranger spoke. I looked at them confused of what to do. As I saw them close in, I ducked under the stranger's arm and fled. _'Gotcha.'_ I ran out the academy again. "Not quite, little missy," When I looked up, I saw the man jump from the roof, irony being the fact I still couldn't see his face to identify him. He landed almost gracefully, though with a _'thump'_ obviously. "Now little missy. Just stay still. I ain't tryin' to hurt you," He approached me as I was cornered for good. The gates to the academy had been locked due to Nathan's command most likely. When I flinched, the man grabbed me and held me tight. "I ain't tryin' to hurt you," He cooed in my ear. _'Wait!' _At that moment, I knew who it was. As I struggled to see the man's face, I felt a prick in my neck. I quickly realized it was a sedative when I lost all my strength, blacking out completely. "You're…" I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, little missy. I can't have you finding out who I am just yet. Soon, you will when the time is right. For now, be a good little girl and go to sleep," I heard the last bit of his western accent before I fell limp in his arms.

**Hm…well, well, well. I sense a third character. Well, not quite. Anyways, I of course know who the mystery man is. Hehehe, man am I evil or what? Anyways, we'll play a little game. If you review, you are eligible for one guess on who the mystery character is. The clue is that he is a character from the VA series and you guys should know him very well. However, only one person is eligible for one review meaning one guess. People who get the answer correct will get a shout out later. The next couple of chapters will be dropping major hints so guess while you can! The answer will be revealed soon. Until then, have fun guessing!**


	10. Chapter 10: Nathan's Mistake

**So here's chapter 10! Thanks to Belikov, snowgoose, milifemiway, Rachel-rob-Sandwich, and lastsacrifice for reviewing. Also, just as an author's note sort of thing, this story is a DimitrixRose fanfic. It's just that Dimitri's having a little trouble trying to get Rose's love back because of Nathan getting in his way. Although, people who hate Nathan, try to be tolerant, please. He's one of the best characters I have ever developed to this extent in terms of challenging Rose. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot!**

**Chapter 10**

"Is she alright, what happened?" That mysterious person asked. _'Damn, who was he? No. Wait, this isn't him. There's no accent.'_ I opened my eyes and stared at the man before me. He had black hair and a goatee, and about as tan as a Moroi ever had. If you've ever seen tan or dark-skinned people grow pale, it's allot like that. There was some pigment in his skin, but it was underscored by an intense pallor. Most astonishing of all was the clothing; a long, black, expensive, coat that screamed money, paired with a crimson, cashmere, scarf. Under that there looked like there was some gold chains. My overall impression was pimp or pirate. No he looked too dangerous to be that somehow he looked like a guy who broke kneecaps to get his way.

"Rosemarie, you're awake finally I've been waiting for you to wake up so I can introduce myself. I am Abe Muzur. Or in other words your father." He said giving me a toothy smile. '_What? My father? Yeah, right just because he had my tan skin, and his hair sorta looked like mine, and he had the same eyes. Like I was born yesterday. Damn it!'_ He probably was telling the truth.

"Why are you here? Oh, and everyone calls me Rose," I said putting him straight and asking him a question.

"I wanted to get to know you since it's so close to graduation. I hope you'll forgive me for coming in a time when you're sick. I have been doing everything in my power to help you get better," He said suddenly serious.

"It's not anywhere near graduation, well sure, it's as close as it's ever been, but it's in three months," I said bringing back the usual Rose Hathaway attitude, even though I was lying in a bed and sick to my stomach.

"Yes exactly, it's the perfect time to get to know you just long enough. And also time for you to get to know me even though. Anyway back to my original question; why is Natasha Ozera going around with a black eye and broken nose?"

"Well I broke her nose, but I'm not entirely sure about the black eye," I said a laugh building up in me, suck that bitch.

"So who did the black eye?" Abe said looking at Dimitri for the answer.

"That would be me. But it was only because she tried to hit, tried, Rose after she had broken her nose when she fainted, but I wouldn't allow that so I hit her right in the eye, then went to pur-" Dimitri said standing up straight only stopping at the word '_pursue'_. _'Wait, he went after me? That can't be. When I fled, the bitch and Comrade were still there. Nathan followed me, but coming from the opposite direction was the cowboy. He's lying.' _

"Thank you for sticking up for my girl. She needs someone like you in her life. I will deal with Natasha Ozera and will be back later. Oh and by the way Guardian Belikov, you have my permission to go and rest since Vasilissa would like to come in and see Rose," He said before walking out.

"Need my ass!" I screamed. "You, sir, though you are my father, know nothing about Guardian Belikov at all. He's a Guardian, I'll give you that, but I never anything more. I assure you," I stated. He said giving me a quick kiss on the forehead before going. _'What the hell is wrong with him?'_

I could hear two people speaking out side but couldn't make out their voices, and before I knew it Lissa was across the room and had me in a bear hug. And that just made my stomach go.

I pushed her off, grabbed the bucket and only this time, water came out; thank goodness I hadn't eaten anything.

"Oops I'm so sorry I didn't mean to make your stomach go." Lissa said looking at me with concern, and guilt on her face.

"It's alright Liss. It was bound to happen anyway," I said trying to reassure her everything was fine.

"I wanted to heal you but no one would let me in. And anyway you were asleep," She said putting her hand on my arm, and closing her eyes. Weak as I was, I couldn't move at all. I could do was feel the magic flowing through me.

"Liss, stop. Don't heal me anymore," I told her even though the sensation was amazing.

"It's okay. I can do it," She chirped happily.

"That's the problem!" I finally lost it and she stopped.

"You can do it. I have no doubt that YOU can do it. I can't. I can't take much more of darkness from you. It's driving me crazy and I'm turning into a monster because of it," Liss looked like she was going to cry. Either way, it hadn't worked because I still felt as sick as ever due to darkness seeping into me from just a little bit of magic.

"Did it work?" Lissa said, registering sadness through her thoughts. I shook my head to say no. "I don't understand, I did everything right," She said disappointed.

"I have no idea why it didn't, but you shouldn't worry yourself. I'll get better soon," I said reassuring her.

"You should get some sleep, I'll be here, and maybe when you wake up you'll be cured." I turned away from her.

"Lissa, don't take this the wrong way, but I need you to leave," She flinched and I knew it was too late. She ran out crying. _'Damn, I'll have to fix this later.'_ When I laid back down on the bed, I gasped as a sharp pain hit my stomach. At least I wasn't throwing up.

"Now, now, little missy, you shouldn't move," The cowboy came back.

"And the cowboy returns," I gave him a smirk. He nodded and tipped his hat a bit. This time, I saw his face. Problem was, not his real face. _'Damn. He has a mask and a bandana. Does he really want me not knowing?'_ He sat on my bed.

"Does it hurt you anywhere?" He started touching my stomach a bit.

"Just a bit. Nothing severe or bad enough though," I put as much bravado as I could, into it. He chuckled. "Hey, um…Mr. Cowboy, don't take this to offense, but do you work here?" The man chuckled again.

"Why yes, little lady, I do. I'm one of those Guardians here," He showed me his stake. _'So my only clues are that he's a cowboy and is a guardian. Since when did we get new guardians anyways? Don't they announce in an assembly of some sort usually?' _I looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly he massaged a certain part causing me to grit my teeth. "Here?" I nodded and he caressed it gently.

"Who are you?" I finally asked what seemed to be the most important question running through my head.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," He spoke in the most mysterious way. Slowly he bent down to pick me up and for a split second, I saw brown hair. _'Okay. Brown hair and brown eyes can be just about anyone…I think.'_ He held me close to him, but made sure that his face would not be revealed. He stroked my back and we stayed in silence. It reminded me so much of Dimitri when we were still together. _'No! You have to stop thinking about him! He left you, Rose. He left you.'_ I gripped the man's coat and tears slowly fell. I moved my head so I was looking down, but in front of him now, rather than burdening his shoulder. The man simply rubbed my back to try and calm my sobs. Without words, he had managed to calm me down quite quickly. When I stopped to look around him, I saw his stake.

"Um…may I?" He pulled out his stake, pointing it at me for a minute which totally freaked me out. But what I realized was that he pointed it to my heart.

"I promise you, I will right what has been wronged," For that one moment, the man lost his accent and I quickly backed away.

"Just who are you?" I quickly became defensive, pointing the stake he had back at him.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Just come back here," I hesitated now. _'Who is this guy?'_ Even though it was risky, I went back to him. He didn't really seem like one who would hurt me. When he held me, he sighed almost like a sound of relief. "I can't let you go anymore. I can't hand you over to Nathan, no matter how nice he is to you. I can't do that," He whispered. When I reached to grab his hat, he suddenly stopped and pushed me back onto the bed as he left quickly. I quickly reached for my cell phone and texted Nathan asking where he was.

_You're awake? I'm on my way then. See you in a couple of minutes.-Nathan_

And in a couple of minutes, Nathan came in.

"How are you feeling?" I waited a bit before answering. Ironically, the pain in my stomach left too and I no longer felt the urge to keep throwing up anymore.

"Ironically, I'm actually okay for once. Hey, Nathan?" I started to get to my point.

"Yes?" He asked back.

"Um…per chance, is there a guardian who has, like, a western accent. Like a cowboy? I mean, when I talked to him, he lost his accent for a split second, but it's fake, isn't it," He looked at me with a serious face.

"Well, I don't think this is my secret to tell. But no, we do not have one with a western accent. It is fake though. That much I can tell you," I looked away trying to think of who it was.

"Fine. Then at least tell me if you know him or not," Nathan sighed.

"He'll totally kill me for this later, but yes, I do know him. Now, I cannot tell you anymore. He is doing this for a reason. That reason though, is for you to find out if you're up to the challenge. On the other hand, Mr. Cowboy is hiding himself for a reason and until you figure it out, well, let's just say that each day is driving him crazy almost," _'Well, that's a nice way to say that 'you're the cause of it', so to speak.'_ I got out of the infirmary with Nathan following behind. While walking down a hallway, I saw the man again. Except this time, he was leaning against a tree. He looked like he was sleeping. I stared at him for a moment. _'The way he sleeps is so much like Dimitri. Although, almost every guy in the entire world sleeps like that.'_ I giggled a bit before I headed back to my room. Then a sudden chill ran up and down my spine again and I froze.

"Rose? Is everything alright?" Nathan asked, obviously concerned. _'Something bad is happening soon.'_ I looked at the weather outside. Dark clouds started moving quickly. I continued walking to my room and unlocked it only to find a second bouquet of flowers. They were also roses. And again, there was a card next to the flowers.

_Dear Rose,_

_I must fix what I have wronged you for. But until then, I can only watch you from a distance. I'm sorry._

_ Woodrow Call_

I sighed and put away the card, but kept the flowers.

"Nathan, have you ever read any cowboy or western novels?" I asked him.

"Yes, why?" He asked back.

"Do you know anyone named Woodrow Call?" I asked. _'This is a long shot, but if I asked the right questions, I could get some answers without him knowing.'_

"Uh…Woodrow Call. I've definitely heard the name. He's a character in the famous western novel called Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. Why?" He looked over at the card. Suddenly he gasped and slapped his forehead. "I really shouldn't have said that. I really shouldn't have said that. Damn it," He hit a wall with his fist. I looked at him suspiciously.

"It's too late, Nathan," He quickly looked at me defeated and almost shocked that he had lost it. "One of you guys were going to crack soon. It just had to be you," I stated.

"Rose…don't. I promised him I wouldn't tell. You were supposed to figure it out without anyone's help," I looked at Nathan.

"It's too late, Nathan. I know who he is now," I started to head to where the supposed cowboy was now, with every intent on revealing who it was.

**Well! We have a winner for the guessing game! The next chapter will contain the answer and the shout out to the winner! **


	11. Chapter 11: Cowboy Revealed!

**So here's chapter 11! Thanks to **

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA, plot, characters, etc.**

**Chapter 11**

I started to run out from my room. "Rose! Come back!" Nathan called out after me. _'Why was he doing this? Just what was he trying to prove to me?'_ I ran down the hallway. Within a few minutes, Nathan caught onto my wrist. "Rose, stop! He's not ready!" I glared at Nathan.

"How long have you known about this?" I hissed at him.

"For a while now, but he isn't ready. You weren't supposed to find out this early!" He yelled back. I slapped Nathan.

"You lied to me. You lied to me all this time, thinking that for once, I thought you loved me. Just how much of it was a lie? Did you ever even love me? Huh? Did you?" I yelled back. He didn't answer. "I thought so. Both of you guys are freaking cowards," I yanked my hand back away from Nathan. I started to leave again, leaving Nathan stand there by himself.

"Rose…trust me. I loved you to the best of my abilities. I gave you everything. It's you who gave nothing back," I froze. _'What the hell does he mean?'_ I looked back at him. "Do you know how hard it is to keep saying that 'oh, she'll have a change of heart one day' when I know that you never will? Rose, your words of 'I love you', you throw them around so much to the point that they have no meaning. You can tell your friends I love you, but you don't romantically love them. Yet you say nothing to him, you resent him. You resent him so much it kills you. Yet you still love him. What am I supposed to do then?" I looked away.

"So you're blaming this on me. You know what? You're no better than he is!" Finally, I felt him give up as I pursued to find the fake cowboy. As he was leaning against the tree, I walked up to him, fury boiling under my skin. Darkness was right around the corner. All I had to do was lose it in a second and things would turn bad. He was asleep. "Get. Up," I growled at him. I saw the cowboy wake and stretch.

"Rose! I mean, uh…little missy, now what can I do for you today on this lovely day?" He proceeded to stand. _'Bad move.'_ I snatched the bandana that covered his mouth and took his hat to throw it aside. "Rose!" I glared at him.

"You lied to me. You got my hopes up and you lied to me!" I yelled. He didn't respond.

"Look, Rose, I-" I cut him off.

"Save it for someone who cares, Guardian Belikov," I slapped him. He was in total shock.

"I'm not stupid. I'm not some toy that you can play around with. God, I have feelings! This was a new low for you. You even got Nathan involved. You just couldn't to fall by yourself that you had to force him to give me up. Dimitri, I loved him! I loved him and you made him lie to me! How could you?" I cried and screamed at this point.

"Roza, please, I-" My temper finally snapped as an aura burst from me. A dark aura surrounded me as my fangs appeared once more.

"Rose…" He whispered.

"I hate you! I fucking hate you!" I screamed as I attacked him for real. Grabbing the collar on his duster, I threw him aside like any other object. He grunted as he fell. I picked him up again and threw him against the tree.

"This was low, even for you," I ran off, leaving him stunned as well. I couldn't take much more so I ran back to my room. While running, I saw Nathan.

"Rose…forgive me…I know I did something terrible," Nathan collapsed to his knees in tears. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I broke my promise," He spoke up louder. I backed up and ran into my room. I couldn't face any one of them. When I got to my room, I cried on my bed. It felt like my heart was breaking. _'I'm not some stupid trophy they can just win over.'_ After what seemed like a decent half hour, my sobs slowed. Suddenly, someone knocked on my door.

"W-who…i-is it…?" My voice shook. I backed up pulling out a stake. No one answered. Instead, the door knob rattled. Whoever it was, eventually gained access though. When I looked at the stranger, it was Stan. "I'm not in the mood so go away," I bluntly told him. Stan walked over and kneeled in front of me, lifting my chin to him. I quickly looked away. He didn't say anything, but he simply wiped my tears.

"I may not be as good as them, but I'm all you have at the moment so I hope you don't mind," He wrapped his arms around me as he sat on the floor against my bed. _'What is he doing?'_ I sniffed as I cried my last remaining tears before I couldn't cry anymore.

"If they put you up to this, then you can leave. I'll be fine," I told Stan. At this moment, I didn't even have energy to fight him or argue for that matter.

"No one put me up to this. I saw Nathan, you, and Belikov all in tears so I figured the two of them did something wrong because I'll say this once and only once. So listen well. Despite our differences, I know you're not a person who antagonizes others without a reason," He told me as he comforted me.

"You're not afraid of me? I mean, look at me, I'm a monster," I told Stan.

"You're not a monster. You're simply different. You're angry and hurt and upset at the moment, but you're not a monster," He held me close to him. Suddenly Dimitri and Nathan came in at the same time. "Not. Right. Now," Stan told them off.

"Alto-" Nathan started.

"Stan-" Dimitri tried to start.

"I said, not right now. Both of you guys need to cool down for a bit. Just leave her alone in the meantime," The two of them reluctantly left.

"Don't worry about them. I'll talk to them later. For now, just focus on keeping your breathing steady. I've heard about your little trips to the infirmary so I don't want to start anything that sends you there at the moment. Maybe later, but not now," He tried to joke. It might've not been the best joke, but I was grateful he was here either way. "Feeling better now?" I nodded a bit.

"Thank you," I murmured, almost trying to make it inaudible.

"Anytime, Rose. Anytime," He soothed me. Suddenly he looked at his watch. "I have a shift now so I have to go. Are you okay by yourself?" I nodded wearily. He picked me up a bit so he was able to get up. "Here's my cell phone number. Call me the minute you need me. For now we'll call our little war a truce," He smiled a bit. I tried to smile back, but failed miserably as soon as it was joined by tears. Finally, when Stan left to go on his shift, I collapsed onto the floor as I felt like I couldn't breathe. I grabbed my cell phone and called Dimitri, despite my wanting not to.

"Rose? Hey, what's up?" I gasped and coughed. "Hey! Rose!" Finally the line hung up and I knew he got the message. Within seconds, Dimitri got to me. "Roza!" He got down to the floor and helped me. "I'm bringing you the infirmary and it's not open for debate," He took me in his arms as he ran for his life almost. I gasped again, struggling to not black out from the lack of air. When we got to the infirmary he found a manual oxygen mask and placed it on me as he pumped air into me. "Belikov! What happened?" My eyes started closing as parts of their conversation became inaudible to me. "Oh, dear, we better keep her awake," Someone spoke. I felt Dimitri try to keep me awake, but eventually I gave into the darkness. Nothing mattered to me at this point. Finally I blacked out, only to end up in a world of nightmares.

**So! Now you guys find out that the cowboy is Dimitri in fact! Congrats to loventherussian17 for guessing correctly! Everyone else, they were pretty close since most of you guys said Abe. But maybe it wasn't the smartest move to lie to Rose. Anyways, stay tuned to find out what happens! Oh, and review! The numbers have been dropping a bit so let's try and pick up the pace. Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12: Surprise and a Challenge!

**Here's chapter 12! Thanks to: RinKira, Nicia, deliciouse, Purplewolfsoda, , roseskyangel, Dimka's chick, missa 27, xXx-CiCi-xXx, lexi11197, and AlishaZoe for reviewing for the chapters 10+11! Thanks so much! Keep it up you guys! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any VA characters, plot to this story, etc.**

**Chapter 12**

"Finally she's stopped screaming," Abe said to someone.

"Why didn't you wake her then?" Dimitri asked. _'Yes why didn't they?'_

"She wouldn't wake. I trust you got some well needed sleep?" Abe asked. Obviously Dimitri had just gotten back from whatever he was doing up until now.

"Yes I did, thank you," Then there was a silence.

I opened my eyes to find them both looking at me with worried eyes.

"You're awake! I bought you something." Abe said, coming to me with a box in his hand.

"What is it?" I asked curious looking at the big box that was wrapped in silver paper.

"Open it and see." He said a smile on his face.

I ripped the paper off which made Dimitri shake his head and Abe laugh.

"It's a...laptop," I stated, almost bluntly stating it. I put it aside.

"You don't like it? It's for all the birthdays I missed, I'm sorry I wasn't there, but your mum simply wouldn't allow me to visit you," I wasn't in the mood at the moment. As I looked at Dimitri, I noticed that he couldn't look at me directly.

"Well umm, thanks. It's a wonderful present. I just have some things I need to think about," I said a bit awkwardly. _'Since when did I Rose Hathaway ever say thanks? Weird but still, I guess it's because I'm sick.'_

"Well, I've got to go do a shift, can't neglect my duties. I suppose I'll see you later," Dimitri said walking out with an odd look on his face. I didn't say anything as he left. _'He doesn't deserve it.'_

"So old man what brings you here?"

"Really, old man? Oh well, umm I just wanted to warn you that your mum I'll be here tomorrow," He said.

"I didn't know she left in the first place. Why is she coming back?" I just remembered. She didn't even come to say goodbye to me whilst I was sick or even see if I was all right.

"Well, she got some time off from her charge for a weekend to see you," He said. _'And wow did that surprise me, mum taking time off for her charge to see me, something must be wrong.'_

"What time?" I asked wanting to know when and now if I couldn't know the real answer to why.

"4 A.M. in the afternoon," He said. After talking for a while, he had some business to attend to and left. Soon after, there was a knock at my door. I didn't bother answering. _'Maybe if I don't say anything, they'll leave.'_ The door knob rattled a bit. _'Wow, they don't get a clue, do they?'_ I just sat up and looked at the door. Finally, the door opened.

"Nathan…" I whispered. _'God, he looked like a mess. More than I was.'_ I got up and out of bed.

"Don't…don't come near me…" He whispered, shaking his head while quietly closing the door to my room. I stood there, unmoving.

"Then why are you here?" I asked. I didn't sound angry anymore and to be honest, after thinking for a while, it's understandable as to why Dimitri did what he did. Nathan being dragged in was Nathan's fault, but he also had a decent reason as to why he did it. He didn't answer. He simply walked up to me and hugged me.

"I'm so sorry…my dear, my love," He whispered. I smiled a bit. _'He's sorry enough. I can't stay mad at him.'_ I hugged him back.

"No more apologizing. I've forgiven you already," I told him. I heard him try to chuckle.

"I'm glad," Suddenly, I sneezed.

"Get back to bed. You're not well yet. When I heard Dimitri say that you had trouble breathing after getting mad at us, I was so afraid that death took you from me. You have no idea how happy I was when I found out you were okay," He sat next to me as I headed back to bed. _'Wow, he thought I died almost.'_ I took his hand and held it for a bit. He laid his head onto my bed.

"Hey, now, I'm alright. Come into bed with me," I got him into my bed. He quickly wrapped himself around me and quickly fell asleep. _'He looks like he hasn't gotten any sleep at all. Poor Nathan, he's exhausted.'_ Later, Dimitri came and visited me that night. As he saw Nathan sleeping next to me, I told him to stay quiet. "Look, I won't stay mad at you. I'll forgive you too. You had your reason and I know why you did what you did. Right now, I just need to get back onto my feet. So does Nathan. He's exhausted thinking that I was close to death," I explained to him.

"I didn't have a chance to ask you earlier today," He started. "But, how are you feeling? And I'm not asking about your little infirmary trip yesterday," I looked at Nathan.

"I don't know. To be honest, I just want to live everything day by day now. I don't really want to think of anything else. My mom's coming to visit tomorrow and that's enough for me to already deal with," He nodded in understanding. Finally Dimitri stood up.

"I'm going to go. I'll see you in the morning. Oh. And Rose?" I looked at him.

"Thank you, for not hating me and forgiving me instead. I know I've done some stupid things, but what I said even as Woodrow Call, that's all true. Alright? Little missy?" He started up his accent. I giggled for what seemed like the first time in ages. "I'll still hold onto my promise of fixing what I've wronged you for," He pretended to tip an invisible cowboy hat. I smiled.

"I'll hold you to that," I warned him. He simply smiled.

"I reckon you will," He finally left my room. Soon after, I fell asleep.

I woke, for the first time in days, healthy for once. And for the first time in days, I didn't throw up what I had yesterday to eat. My muscles didn't ache, my head didn't hurt, and I could stretch without collapsing. Nathan shifted a bit.

"Rose?" I smiled at him. He sat up like a zombie.

"You okay? You look like you've been to hell and back. You can sleep more if you want," I tried to joke

"That's because I have," He joked back._ 'At least he's smiling. That's a good sign.'_

"Rose, what are you doing?" Dimitri asked coming through the door with my breakfast. "Are you feeling better?" He asked when he didn't get the answer to his first question.

"I feel, way better, no more soreness, I can actually keep down what I'm eating, and I feel so lively like someone just woke me up from a horrible nightmare where I was sick," I said a smile on my face.

"Well can you at least sit down I don't want you collapsing," He said the trace of a smile gone and a worried expression coming onto his face instead. I did as he asked and sat. Dimitri smiled again, but this time at Nathan.

"Nathan, I have to apologize. I was selfish for trying to regain Rose's love back the way I did. I never intended for it to get this far and hurt the both of you. However, that does not mean I'm giving in this easily. It just means we both get to fight for Rose, fairly, this time," I sighed. _'Well, that's as close as it's going to get.' _Nathan nodded.

"Then I won't go easy on you anymore," The two of them shook hands on it to show that it was going to be a challenge. _'Guys, I guess, will always be just guys.'_

"Ok, so what's for breakfast, Comrade?" He groaned when I said my nickname for him.

"Stop calling me that and it's a grilled cheese sandwich, some fruit, and water," I groaned at that no more donuts. But I dug in anyway as soon as he set the tray down. I could feel something big was happening today. I quickly finished eating while Nathan pecked a bit at the fruit.

"Hey Comrade, I get the feeling something's happening today. Care to remind me what?" I said looking up at him. He obviously didn't want to remind me because he sighed and an anxious expression came onto his face.

"You're mother, Janine, is coming here to see you," He said, looking up at me his guardian mask suddenly on. _'Crap. That's what._' Then there was a knock on the door and Dr. Olendzki came in.

"Hello, Rose. How are you feeling today?" She asked coming and doing the usual things, like checking my heart rate and pulse.

"I didn't know you made house calls now. Much better though, I feel brand new. So Doc, does this mean I can go?" I asked a smile on my face as I thought of getting out of this room. She laughed.

"I don't make house calls. You're my only patient who visits so often that I might as well make house calls. Oh, and only if you promise to take it easy and also if you have someone by your side at all times," She said after thinking about it for a while. I hugged her, both of us astonished at what I had just done. I pulled back and she gave me a smile.

"But first you need to have a shower and change," She said.

"Guardian Belikov, can I speak with you?" She asked as she got to the door.

"Of course, call Lissa. She'll get clothes for you," He said, handing me a black phone, mine must still be in my gym bag. I rang Lissa's number.

"Hello?" She asked uncertain on the phone as always.

"Hey Liss, it's Rose," I said, and she squealed on the other end of the line.

"Are you alright, you sound better, is something wrong?" She asked in a rush of words. I laughed.

"Everything's fine. Calm down, and I'm more than better. I'm great, apart from the fact my mother's coming. Anyways I was wondering is my gym bag in the infirmary?" I asked changing the subject.

"I'll go check," I could hear her running towards the infirmary at lightning speed, obviously happy that I was not pissed at her like I was before.

"Ok, yes. Your gym bags in here," She said, after catching her breathe.

"What's in there?" I asked forgetting what I had packed.

"A bra, underwear, leopard print top, faded short-shorts, bangles, a necklace with LOL on it, a playboy bunny belly ring, your phone, and your iPod touch. Do want me to bring it for you?" She asked.

"Yep, please and thank you," She squealed yet again on the other end and hung up after saying goodbye. Once Lissa had come and dropped off my bag of stuff, she left to go practice spirit with Adrian. _'Dang, not spirit again. I guess I'll have to keep my cool today.'_ I had a long shower, and changed into the clothes. I knew my mum wouldn't like me showing my belly piercing off, but who cares right? I walked out of the bathroom to find Dimitri sitting in the chair, reading a book. "Hey Comrade, how are you doing?" I said, sitting on the bed. The nearest I could get to him. And not so much to my surprise, he didn't look up. _'Ignore me, will you?'_ I huffed, picked my bag up from the floor, and with my best impression of being angry slammed the door, just as he was about to come after me, so it slammed in his face. When I saw the look on his face it was one of guilt. So like the last time I ran away from him, I ran to the maze like garden. I hid in the maze at a dead end. _'If he's going to find me, he'll do it himself.'_

"Rose, Roza? Are you out here?" He yelled from somewhere close by. I curled up and started thinking. _'Why won't he acknowledge me? Am I not good enough for him? Am I that weak still?' _"Rose, you know you're not allowed to be on your own. Don't ever do that again," He warned, but just like when he wouldn't answer me whilst reading his book, I looked away, angry.

"Rose, are you alright?" He asked again and I could tell he was starting to get worried. So I let my eyelids close, and stayed as still as I could, not making a sound.

"Rose?" He yelled, and I ignored him. "Rose? Come on, talk to me. Are you okay?" I withdrew myself further.

"Well, if you don't like it being done to you, don't do it to others," I said still mad.

"Come on Rose lets go," He said, pulling me with him. But I got out of his grip.

"Rose, what's wrong?" I didn't answer. "Roza? Sweetheart?" He stroked my cheek a bit only to realize I had tears streaming down my face. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" I shook my head.

"I can't be mad at you…I'm sorry…" I ran a different was through the maze to my usual way, and I could tell Dimitri didn't know this way. So I quickly ducked into a different bush, making sure he didn't see me. I ran the other way, back to the middle and stood on the little platform, and I could see the top of Dimitri's head from here. I was gaining darkness's energy as I relished on the hatred and anger of Dimitri's prior betrayal. I collapsed onto my knees as an aura of darkness surrounded me. _'Stop…'_

"Rose!" I looked at him as my fangs grew out. He ran towards me through the maze. When he got up onto the platform, he quickly called Stan and Nathan. I shook my head. _'Stop, please stop…'_ I begged to the darkness…to Lissa. A pain struck at my heart and I gasped in pain, while collapsing onto the platform. I heard Stan and Nathan call my name. "No…NO! Get away!" The aura burst like flames around me.

"Roza? Calm down! Hey, breathe! You have to breathe!" He laid me on my back, while pushing down on my chest, trying to draw air in and out.

"Rose? Rose? Listen to me. It's me, alright? It's Guardian Alto," I turned to Stan.

"M-make…it stop…" I spoke quietly as the aura engulfed my body. Nathan held me in his arms, rocking me.

"Shh…just calm down. I'm here, sweetheart, I'm here," Nathan comforted me until I stopped crying. When the aura died down, I felt funny. My fangs were still there and everything, but the burning sensation from the power stopped. Suddenly, a rush ran through my body and I felt so powerful. When I stood up, everything felt nice.

"Rose?" I turned to Nathan. "Is everything alright?" He asked cautiously.

"You have no idea. I feel so amazing right now," When I raised my hand to a tree, a bolt of what seemed to be dark lightning struck the tree, causing it to split. "This is nice,"

"You shouldn't use it that much. It'll hurt you," Stan and Dimitri warned. I sighed. _'Fine.'_ The power receded and somehow it didn't hurt anymore. Stan helped me a bit.

"I got it," I tried to relax and the fangs disappeared. The three of them looked at me worried. "Um…I'm going to…uh…go now so I'll see you guys later," I dashed out of there. _'That was weird…what was that? That power…' _I headed back to my dorm, quickly closing the door and locking it. Then I headed to the showers to cool my head off a bit. _'That was just way too creepy. I'm really starting to lose control of it.' _I stared at my hands before jumping into the showers. _'I'll have to be careful now.'_

**So…Rose and darkness…hm…Something will happen soon. Oh, as I read the reviews, it seems that most of you guys don't understand why Dimitri disguised himself. It was because Dimitri figured that if Rose wouldn't give him the time of day to explain himself, he was thinking she could fall for a mysterious cowboy. Eventually, when Rose finds out by herself, she might come to like Dimitri again. But because she found out earlier than expected due to Nathan's carelessness, she figured it out too early, hence, making her think he was fooloing her. On the other hand, most of you guys also asked as to why Nathan helped Dimitri. It's because Nathan knows that even if he likes Rose, Rose will always like Dimitri so Nathan was trying to do what's right. Even if ended up almost killing Rose and his own relationship with her. So I hope this clears things up. Anyways, keep on reviewing! Thanks for all the support. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13: Unexpected Betrayal

**So here's chapter 13!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot.**

**Chapter 13**

"Rose, Roza, I know you're in there, open the door," Dimitri said. I had just gotten out of the shower and sat on my bed for what seemed no longer than five minutes, startling me when there was a knock at the door. _'Just what is happening to me?'_

"Shoot!" I yelled then raced into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

"Well Rose, I'm coming in anyways," He said as I heard a loud bang that was probably my door being slammed into the wall, I could hear him closing it. _'Ok, so I'll just seduce him, and run away again. Easy, well I hope.' _I stripped down to my underwear and bra, and quickly slid through a gap I had made so I could squeeze through the door. Luckily he was looking the other way while I quickly locked my door.

"Hey, Comrade," I said in my most cheery voice as if he wasn't hunting me down. I jumped on his back and straddled him.

"Roza, why, you've finally come out of hiding from me," He said getting me off his back, and onto the floor. Then, he realized what I was wearing and his eyes nearly came out of his sockets, filling with lust.

"See something you like?" I asked like the first time he had seen me in a bra. I smiled my man-eating smile.

"Definitely," He said smiling back and I knew I had done my job at seducing him. But what I couldn't do was run, it was just too painful. So like in the cabin, Dimitri and I did it again, and boy it was even better the second time.

_At 4 PM…_

'_BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...' '__Damn there goes my alarm clock; I guess it's time to get ready to see my mother.'_ When I realized what had happened, I sat up quickly, looking at Dimitri. _'Shit, what did I just do?'_

"Why did you set your alarm clock?" Dimitri asked beside me slowly trailing kisses down my back.

"I have to go see my mother, and you're coming too. Remember? In case I do anything rash," I said a bit shaky.

"Ok, well go have a shower. I suppose I better go. I need one too," He said sitting up. _'This is bad. This is really, really bad. I just betrayed Nathan…I just slept with…'_ I looked back at Dimitri.

"No, come in with me," I suggested. _'Come on girl, stay cool about this. You just don't have to tell Nathan. I mean, what you don't know can't hurt you, right?'_ And so he did, but none of what you're thinking went on. The only thing that happened was that Dimitri helped me with my hair.

"You're not going in that, are you?" Dimitri said after climbing though my window.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked; I was wearing the same thing as before.

"Nothing. It's just, we're going to a restaurant," He said, I huffed and went to find something else to wear. I got a white with silver dress, silver high-heels, silver hoop earrings, a silver necklace with an R on it, a black purse and my black fluffy handbag.

"Is this better?" I asked as I stood up in front of him. He had chosen to sit on my bed.

"Much, you do look beautiful," He said, and I smiled gently at him. _'Act natural. You have to act natural or else you can't pull it off!' _I warned myself.

"Let's go. So who else is coming aside from, me, Lissa, Janine, and you?" I asked.

"Christian, Adrian, Abe and I think maybe Alberta as a guardian," He said. I groaned. _'Why did Adrian have to come?'_ He chuckled and led me down to the gates.

"I found her!" Dimitri called to them. Everyone laughed at my expression except my mum who was giving me the death glare. I gave her a look that said, _'Bitch I can glare too.'_

"Don't look at me like that, young lady," She snapped at me and everything went quiet. Darkness's power was bubbling underneath. It wouldn't be long before I lost it so I had to be extremely careful.

"Well don't look at me like that either and we won't have a problem. Oh, and don't call me 'young lady'," I retorted automatically.

"Well if you didn't disappear like that, and have every guardian on campus looking for you I might not look at you 'like that' as you so put it," She snapped back.

"You can't talk to me about disappearing, when I was sick you disappeared, when I was a child you disappeared, actually from my whole life up until the past year you've disappeared. So don't talk to me about disappearing because you've done way more _'disappearing' _than me!" I yelled back, making everyone except Dimitri and my mother flinch back. _'Shit, this can't be happening.'_ I growled and Dimitri quickly called what seemed to be Nathan. Within a few minutes, he had shown up. I gave Nathan a look, begging him to stop me before it was too late. _'Please…hurry.'_

"I had to do my job, much more than you can say." She said. This time I flinched, her words cut deep.

"I wish you weren't my mother," I said in a hard voice after a couple of seconds. Suddenly, out of nowhere, my mother slapped me, hard. I was shocked as my transformation sped up. Before Nathan and Dimitri got to me, I took my mother by the collar and threw her to the side, hard, just as I had done to Dimitri while under the influence of darkness. I walked over and picked her up, only to throw her against a wall. She had no power over me; she has no power over me, and never will have power over me. I did what seemed to be some type of roar. Dimitri and Nathan pulled me back at this time, but I struggled to break free, snarling and snapping. My mother straightened herself out only for me to escape Dimitri and Nathan's grip and tackle her. I quickly pulled out a stake and pointed it at her heart. "Just a reminder, I can always kill you with no hesitation. Just. Like. This!"

"Stop!" Dimitri yelled as I took the stake and struck it next to my mother's neck. Finally, I felt her fear.

"I can beat you anytime. You have no control over me. Not anymore," I got up and withdrew my stake, before heading for the gym.

"Rose!" Nathan came after me.

"What do you want Nathan?" I asked him and kept walking. By now I was at the front of the gym, he caught up to me.

"Rose, calm down. You're going to hurt yourself if you keep relying on darkness's power," I glared at him.

"Since when were you the boss of me, last time I checked?" He flinched at my harsh words. I went up to a punching bag and hit it as hard as I could.

"Since I made that promise to always protect you. Same with Guardian Belikov. We may be fighting over you, but we both promised to protect you and that's what we'll do until the very end," He lectured me.

"Stop acting like you know me so well! You've only known me for a bit whereas Dimitri knows me more. I should be closer to him than to you! But nothing's going the right way, my mother's interfering, I have darkness creeping up at me every minute to the point, I can't relax," I punched the punching bag again. He stopped me.

"Rose, I know you're angry. You're actually probably more than angry. I would be. So here's what I'm thinking. How about you stop trying to destroy the punching bag that needs to exist for future sessions, and hang with Alto for a bit. He's been waiting to hear from you after that little darkness episode. And Rose? Please don't try to kill him," I looked away.

"I don't think…that's a good idea…" Nathan stroked my cheek gently. I pulled myself away from him. _'I betrayed him…I don't have the right to approach him…'_

"Hey, what's wrong? You don't look too good. Is something else bothering you?" He asked. I was forced to shake my head. _'I can't tell him…' _At one point someone else came in. I know it was stupid training in a dress, but what else was I supposed to do? I didn't want to go because I might run into my mother.After all, my anger was out and I was exhausted. I turned to go and saw Dimitri standing there, watching me. He was obviously the person who had come in. I thought he had gone back out but he'd stayed.

"Didn't the doctor tell you not to train?" He said lifting an eyebrow. _'Damn, I wish I could do that.'_ I shrugged and walked past him.

"Are you ok, Roza?" He asks. _'Of course I'm not ok, I'm hurt.'_ I want to say to him but I just shrug.

I walk slowly out of the gym and go up to my room. Dimitri and Nathan just follow. I turned once I get to my door, and they're still there, quiet, still, and understanding.

"I'll be ok. I just need time, but I don't think I'll ever forgive _her_," I say. He frowns at the last part. "Give her a chance. She just wants a chance to get to know you," He said.

"Can you just go for now? I'm tired," I said, with a sigh. Dimitri nods, looks around, kisses my forehead, and says goodbye before walking away. I walk into my room, take a shower, put on some boxer shorts, and a bra, and try to go to sleep. But sleep won't come. It's been an hour and I'm exhausted but still nothing. '_What is wrong with my stupid brain? Why won't you let me go to sleep?'_

Then I remember Nathan's advice about Stan. I look at the clock on my desk. _'It's already 11AM human time. It's getting late.'_ I stared at my phone again before calling him.

"Guardian Alto," He spoke in a formal manner. I didn't answer. "Rose? Is that you?" I still didn't answer. I started to cry.

"Aww…sweetheart, don't cry. I'll come over right now," He hung up. _'I can't take much more…I can't keep this up…'_ Within a few minutes, Stan came to my room, seeing me on my bed, crying. "Sweetheart? Are you alright?" He was trying to wipe the tears that were soaking my pillow. "Hey, talk to me. I'm here now," He tried to calm me. "What happened?" He asked quietly. I didn't answer. "Would this have anything about the meeting with your mother? I heard from Nathan and Dimitri that you seemed reluctant and uncomfortable before the meeting," Stan covered me with the bed covers, trying to keep me warm since I wasn't under any bed covers before.

"Shh…calm down. Hey, I'm here now," A chill went up and down my spine so Stan quickly got me into bed. He kept wiping my tears. "I don't have a shift tonight. Do you want me to keep you company?" I nodded. "But in return, you have to tell me what's going on in that little head of yours," He added. I nodded again. He took off his jacket and got into bed with me. "Here, this will keep you warm while you talk," _'Stan and I may argue, but I don't think I'd be able to get through anything without him either.'_ He started me off. "From the looks of it, you don't seem like the meeting is bothering you. There's something else, isn't there," I nodded.

"I betrayed Nathan...I hurt him and he doesn't even know it. I can't tell him," I started.

"What did you do that was so bad?" He asked. I was reluctant to answer, but eventually, I answered anyways.

"I slept with Dimitri…" I whispered. "I didn't mean to. I was just trying to throw him off so I could escape, but…I…I…" Stan shushed me.

"I understand…that's enough," He just kept me calm. "Just tell me what you need to do and I'll try to help,"

"I need to apologize to Nathan. I need to give him his chance back, but I can't face him. I feel like I let him down," I told Stan. He gave me a light smile.

"I can talk to them in your place. Do you want me to do that?" I looked at Stan while he gave me a sincere look. Suddenly my eyes drooped.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow morning. You're exhausted so get some rest. I'll be right here if you need me," He pet my head a bit. "Go to sleep. I'll help you fix this in the morning,"

**Well then, let's see how well that goes. Anyways, this is the end of Rachel-rob-Sandwich's part so the next chapter will start with my part! Hopefully you guys have enjoyed this so far! Also, a reviewer got my attention on Stan's and Rose's relationship. For one, they don't have much of a relationship. In fact, Stan is doing this because he cares for Rose, but only as a student. He knows what's going on between Dimitri, Rose, and Nathan so he takes his part as comforting Rose when she's not happy or whenever Dimitri and Nathan cause trouble! I hope this sorts some things out for some people. The story is a Dimitri-Rose-Nathan. Thanks! Stay tuned!**


	14. Chapter 14: Dimitri to the Rescue

**So here's chapter 14! This is the beginning of my segment now. Thanks to Nicia, loventherussian17, , AlishaZoe, and roseskyangel for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot!**

**Chapter 14**

_Next morning…_

"Mm…" I slowly opened my eyes. _'Huh?'_ I looked to see that Stan was gone. His coat was still here though. _'I wonder if he went back to his room to sleep.'_ I looked at the clock. "Huh? It's…10 AM? Shoot, I'm done for! I have Stan's class right now!" I quickly got ready with what seemed like a few minutes at most. Making a mad dash, I saw Dimitri walking down the hallway. "Comrade! Give me a lift! Toss me over your shoulder!" He quickly nodded and kneeled down as I ran towards him. He gave me a boost and sent me launching towards Stan's class. "Thanks!" I turned back to look at him as he waved. Finally, when I ended up in Stan's class, I heard a whispering.

"Look, please understand. She didn't mean to hurt you," Stan was speaking to someone. I looked at my watch. _'It's…I don't believe it…it's Saturday!'_ I mentally slapped myself. _'Wow, I feel stupid.'_ I listened in though.

"What do you mean she didn't mean to hurt me? She slept with him! What am I supposed to think now?" That was Nathan's voice. _'Nathan?'_

"Nathan, listen to me. She regrets it. More than you can imagine. Guardian Belikov was pursuing her and she tried to throw him off. She probably tried to lure him so he'd forget. It's her way of doing things. I'm not saying what she did was right. But she's sorry. Give her another chance," Stan tried to persuade Nathan. I slid against the door. _'I messed up. I really screwed up.'_

"She betrayed me, Alto!" Nathan yelled.

"I know she did. She didn't mean to though. She didn't purposely cheat on you. Look at it from her point of view. Because of you and Guardian Belikov, she's confused as hell for the last few weeks. You guys deliberately lied to her, but she forgave you. Why can't you do that now? At least if not for her, than for me. I may hate her to some extent. I may fight her all the time. I know I scold her more than I should have. But she doesn't have a parent with her at all! She doesn't know what love is. And the more you two throw at her way, the more confused she'll be. Give her a break. Can't you understand where she's coming from? Almost like one orphan to another? Most kids love the idea of not having a parent, not having a parent to nag at you all the time. Kids without families always grow up selfish. That, and lonely. Being scolded by your parents doesn't even compare. She does what she does for self-defense," Stan explained. _'He's defending me…'_

"I guess. But…what am I supposed to do then when I see her? I can't walk up to her and pretend nothing happened," Nathan argued back.

"That's for you to figure out. I beg you, just don't be too harsh on her. Scold her if you wish, but do not leave her. The minute you do, I fear the darkness will consume her, and you know how that looks. Just keep my words in your mind," I sat next to the door, frozen. If not by fear, then by confusion and self-hatred. I stayed there lifeless. _'What am I supposed to do now?'_ Suddenly, I heard the door open and I turned my head just the slightest bit. Nathan came out and saw me.

"Rose…did you hear everything?" I stood up. "Rose…" I simply walked away. This was a battle and war that I had lost at the very beginning the minute I messed up. "Rose, listen to me, will you?" He grabbed my hand, but I took it back.

"Don't come near me anymore…alright? Don't let me hurt you anymore. I'm a monster already. I'm used to this," I started walking away. This time, he didn't come after me. Stan did.

"Nathan, you didn't understand anything I told you," Right before I burst to a sprint, Stan tackled me to the floor right as the aura of darkness burst out.

"Rose, Rose? Listen to me, you need to stop. You'll hurt yourself. Rose!" I emitted waves of darkness, trying to find some way for the pain to disappear in my heart. I clawed at Stan's shirt, but he held me tight, not allowing even the smallest movement. "Listen to me, you need to calm down. You need to be better than the darkness, don't let it take over you," Eventually, I pushed him away too, panting as the darkness consumed my strength. _'Fight it back, Rose. You can do it.'_ I tried and tried, but to no extent was it working. Finally, I had to run before anything happened, before I seriously hurt one of them. "Rose!" I left Stan and Nathan there, probably calling for help soon. I ran outside to the maze again. _'Keep your mind off of it, Rose. You know better.'_ I kept running, ending up in dead ends, only to keep running again.

"Rose! Can you hear me?" I stopped dead in my tracks to hear Dimitri's voice. "Stay where you are, I'm coming to find you!" I suddenly roared and a burst of darkness came from me. My fangs grew out and my nails turned to claws almost. It didn't take long since the darkness marked where I was. When Dimitri got to me, I was laying down on the grass, exhausted as the darkness drained my energy. "Do you need it?" He asked.

"I don't want…" I started.

"I didn't say if you wanted to. I asked you if you need it," Finally I nodded. He took off his shirt for me and brought my fangs up to his neck. I cried as I bit into him. I slowly drained the blood as he gasped in what could be pain or ecstasy. "Shh…don't worry about this…we'll get through this. I won't let you turn into a monster. I'll help you. I'm always here for you. Always have, always will," He murmured to me. Nathan and Stan eventually got to me.

"Is she alright?" Stan and Nathan both asked. Dimitri removed me from his neck.

"Rose? Say something?" I stayed quiet. "Sweetheart, you okay?" He tried to brush my hair aside. I cried. "She's fine. If she's crying, it means the darkness stopped. Right?" I nodded. Stan rubbed my back as Dimitri held me and Nathan held my hands.

"That's right, Rose, we're all here for you. Don't ever worry about hurting any of us," Nathan cooed at me. I just sobbed.

"She can cry, but don't let her get too hysterical," Dimitri told Nathan. Within fifteen minutes or so, I finally calmed down to a sniffle. "Shh…you're okay. We're here now," I cuddled closer to Dimitri.

"Belikov, you should go to the infirmary. Get your wound checked out," I looked at Stan as he spoke.

"No. It's fine. It's just a bite mark. It'll heal quickly. She's more in jeopardy than I am," Dimitri brushed my hair a bit, suddenly picking me up. "I'll bring you back to your room, alright? Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you," I tried to nod. Suddenly as we approached closer to the school, I felt nauseous. Whether it was from the blood or not, I didn't know. When I became fidgety, Dimitri rocked me a bit.

"No, stop…" I whispered.

"Rose? Hey, are you okay?" He asked. I got Dimitri to put me down.

"Strigoi…" When they turned around, there were what seemed to be a dozen of them. But the leader of the Strigoi surprised us. Tasha. Tasha was the leader. Dimitri and Nathan pulled out their stakes and Stan ran back to the school to shut the school down and turn the alarm on.

"Alto, take her back. We'll fight them," Dimitri yelled.

"I'm staying with you!" I protested.

"You will not and that's an order," He didn't seem to be joking. I didn't move. "I said go!" I looked at Stan who looked like he was ready to leave.

"Stan, go to the school. I'm staying here. I need your stake though," Stan tossed me his and ran back to the school.

"Rose, I said that's an order," The darkness burst around me.

"Like I ever listen," I smirked. The darkness seemed controlled now, obeying my every command and thought which made it decently easy to work with.

"Rose, I said go back with Stan!" I started to get ticked off. As the Strigoi approached, Dimitri tried to appease Tasha. "Tasha, what are you doing there? Come back here," She gave an evil smile. Suddenly, what seemed like balls of darkness formed in my hands as she had her fireballs in her hands. Dimitri quickly took note and tried to cover me.

"Move aside," I told him and he stepped away again. I threw the first of my fireballs to the Strigoi, quickly wiping one out. I saw Tasha wince as I think it finally registered to her how this was going to go down.

"I'm not going back unless you give her up, Dimka," She said in a creepy voice.

"What?" Dimitri seemed confused.

"Give her up, Dimka. Love me instead of her. I've loved you for a longer time. Not that blood whore who's using you like a feeder," _'Oh she's going to get it now. Fight her. I'll lend you my power.'_ A whisper came to me. _'Who is this?'_ I tried to send the darkness a thought. _'No matter. I will explain later. For now, you need to fight and I am willing to help.' _It told me. _'Okay, suit yourself.'_ I charged at the Strigoi with another fireball in my hand. Every time I threw one, it caught the Strigoi in a fireball made of dark energy. _'Oh, this is awesome! What else can I do?' _I tried to ask the darkness. By now, you probably think I'm crazy. But, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. _'Just watch.'_ It whispered. Suddenly, one of the dark energy balls slowly shape-shifting into what seemed to be some sort of staff. Dimitri started staring and Tasha was simply…not happy at the way he was amazed with this newfound power. _'This allows you to use dark energy from me and do whatever you wish. Whether it is a barrier or a beam or any form of attack, you just need to say what you want, and I will do it. The reason this power was hurting you before was because I was trying to get you adjusted to it faster. But I guess things take time.'_ I nodded. Nathan started fighting them as well as Dimitri as I stood there still confused in some ways more than one. _'Go ahead, wave it.'_ I tried to but, to say it was heavy was the least of it. _'Oh, I'm sorry. Here.' _The staff shrunk to almost what looked like a wand. _'This wand, never lose it. It contains my powers all cooped up into one item. Simply put it, because you're a dhampir, you can't do magic like Moroi. However, I was a Moroi in the past, and my powers are now yours. Use them responsibly. Oh, and I don't do commands like "clean up my room." For that, you're on your own.'_ It added on. _'Damn. Oh well, what I get is what I get.' _I used the wand. Nothing happened. _'You can't use your thoughts to use the power anymore. You have to say something. For example, watch this.' _I waited. _'Dark Lightning!' _The voice commanded. Suddenly the wand glowed, and a lightning created from dark energy crashed down onto a group of Strigoi killing them instantly. _'This is stronger than any magic a normal Moroi can carry so use it wisely.'_ I nodded. Because I hadn't been fighting, Dimitri and Nathan were swamped with Strigoi. Tasha stood there, not doing anything. "Dark Barrier!" A shield formed in front of Nathan and Dimitri as they turned to fight other Strigoi.

"Thanks!" Both of them shouted. I simply smiled.

"Oh no, you're not off the hook that easily," Tasha looked pissed. No, I think that would be an understatement. She boldly charged at me with full force, tackling me to the ground. Her hand suddenly contained a fireball and I quickly turned so as her hand came crashing down, it hit the ground, extinguishing the fireball before it hit me.

"Rose!" Nathan yelled, trying to run back to me.

"No! I'm fine!" I yelled back. Tasha kept trying to hit me, but I avoided every one.

"Dark Barrier!" I commanded. Right when Tasha was about to hit me dead on, the barrier stopped her and the fireball again, was extinguished. _'Damn, that was close.'_ "Shadow Ball!" The same ball of dark energy emerged from the wand, and struck at Tasha, sending her flying towards her mini army of Strigoi.

"You did not just do that," She growled.

"Oh? Because I think I just did," I teased her, trying to push her buttons to make her crack. I saw Dimitri almost start laughing. So was Nathan.

"You're losing your touch, granny," I insulted her. Now, Dimitri couldn't help, but start laughing. Tasha screeched and charged at me again. I dodged her moves swiftly and almost to an extent, elegantly. I did some backflips and used everything that Dimitri had taught me. Even whoever was behind the darkness reminded me. _'Don't underestimate her.'_ It warned. I slid past her and charged to the Strigoi. "Dark Lighting, Shadow Ball!" I threw out two moves, as it almost wiped out half of the remaining Strigoi. Tasha tried to stop me. "And then there were three," I smirked at the Strigoi. After seeing my power, they fled like dogs with their tails between their legs. "Oh? And then there was one," I grinned evilly.

"Tasha, stop. This isn't a fight you can win," Dimitri warned her.

"I won't stop! I won't stop until I can get her away from you!" She screamed. _'Behind you!' _The voice warned. Right as I turned around, a Strigoi had stabbed me with a sword right through me. I stared wide-eyed as I didn't dare look down.

"Rose!" I coughed up blood. _'Listen to me. I can get you out of this. You need to remove the sword and I will heal you as fast as I can. But you need to have the courage to get the sword out, or push off of him.'_ The voice advised. Spots entered my vision so I knew time was ticking.

"I told you. I won't stop until I have Dimka back," Tasha laughed. Finally, I had it so I pushed off from the Strigoi and the sword came out as I gasped in pain. As I fell, Dimitri caught me and the darkness quickly manifested itself to close up the wound as fast as it could.

"Rose! Can you hear me?" Dimitri yelled. Nathan felt my neck.

"She still has a pulse. It's weak, but it seems to be getting stronger," He noted. _'Don't worry about them. Just relax, I'll take it from here.'_ I laid down on Dimitri unmoving as the darkness healed me. _'That's a good girl. I'm almost done. Does it hurt anywhere?'_ I tried to move my hand to my stomach. There was a decent amount of blood. _'It's just blood. If you drink Belikov's blood, you'll quickly regain your strength later. Right now, I just need to close up the wound.'_ My eyes slowly closed.

"Rose! Stay awake! You need to stay awake!" Nathan yelled. _'Listen to them. They're telling you to stay awake. You need to stay awake. If you don't, I can't guarantee you that you'll live through this.'_ I nodded yet coughed up more blood. Suddenly, a bunch of guardians rushed out panicking.

"It's alright. She's alright," Dimitri told some people.

"Kiz? Kiz! Hang on!" _'Dad?' _I looked weakly at him. "You need to stay strong. Stay strong like your mother," He told me. _'Mom? Oh that's right, I fought with her.' _I breathed in and a pain shot through my body.

"Take it easy," Dimitri calmed me. _'There, I'm done. You should be fine. Don't try to move yet though.'_ Dimitri picked me up and I winced. "Sorry," He apologized. I turned my head towards Dimitri.

"Heh…nothing…to be sorry…about…" Dimitri gave me a worried look. _'Get him to bring you to the infirmary so the doctor can bandage the wound up so it doesn't re-open.'_ I whispered to Dimitri what to do and he nodded.

"I think she's going to be okay so you guys just go back and report to the headmistress," Dimitri ordered the rest of the guardians. "Nathan, go notify Stan," Nathan nodded and dashed back towards the Academy as Dimitri carried me back slowly. I coughed up some remaining blood. He wiped my mouth a bit of the blood that trickled out. "You were brave Rose, to fight an adult Moroi like that. I'm proud of you," I tried to smile. By now, I had lost so much energy, that I couldn't even really speak much. My transformation slowly reverted. _'I'll meet you back at the infirmary.'_ Well, guess I would find out who this mystery person is. When Dimitri got me checked into the infirmary, I relaxed finally. Dr. Olendzki took a look at the wound.

"Well, it looks like it's healed properly. She just needs a few days of rest here and then she'll be fine," She told Dimitri who now, looked relieved.

"Where's Lady Ozera?" Dr. Olendzki asked.

"She fled back into the forest," Dimitri spoke in a solemn manner. He brushed my hair aside from my face and tried to smile. However, I could tell he was barely holding it together. The doctor left to leave us alone for some time. As I brought my hand up to Dimitri's face, tears trickled out and he kissed my hand endearingly. "I thought I would lose you," He whispered. To be honest, I wasn't exactly fearless either. For a minute, I actually thought I would die. I wondered how it would feel like to die at that moment. And to an extent, it scared me. Suddenly, Dimitri hugged me tight as he cried. "I never want to lose you again. Never again," He was shaking.

"I'm okay now. Hey, you know me. I'm brave and I do stupid things. This is just the result of my stupidity," He looked at me.

"Don't speak anymore," He told me. I stopped talking and he caressed my cheek a bit. "I have to go and report back to Kirova. Are you okay here?" He tried to sound brave for me.

"It's not like I have a choice," I told him. My voice cracked and he knew I was going to start crying. But instead of staying with me, he fled himself. He was barely holding it together. Seeing me cry would make his guardian mask shatter like glass. As he left, tears trickled into my pillow. I wanted to tell him to stay, but to be honest; I didn't want to see him like that. I didn't want him to see me like this either. Suddenly a knock came through the door. I knew this would be the person behind the dark power so I didn't bother saying "come in."

"Rose?" The same voice spoke.

"Yeah, I'm here," I notified whoever it was.

"Can I come see you?" He asked.

"Yeah," Slowly the curtain opened and I saw the stranger. I didn't seem to recognize him.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Rose, I thought you would know better after trying to research about me," He gave me a weird look.

"Wait, you're-" I was cut off when he announced his name.

"I am Vladmir," He spoke.

"Vladmir…St. Vladmir?" I quickly got up and winced.

"Yes. Now, lie down. Don't reopen the wound I worked so hard at fixing for you," He gently pushed me back down onto the bed.

"But, aren't you…you know…" I didn't want to say the word since it seemed impolite.

"Dead? Yes, but somehow when darkness started to influence you, I found out, yes, in the realm of the dead as you call it, and realized that you wouldn't be able to control it. Yes, I was a spirit user and healed people. However, what others didn't know was that I was also trying to start a new magic element, darkness. It was supposed to be created to be the opposite of Spirit just as water magic is opposite of fire magic," He explained.

"So that means that…" I didn't quite understand what the point of his explanation was.

"That means that you're the very first dhampir to know magic, and dark magic at that," He stated bluntly. Oh dear, there goes my normal dhampir life. Then again, like it was ever normal to begin with.

**So, Vladmir plays his part in the story now. As you can see, the story is starting to head a real Dimitri-Rose fanfic now. To answer a concern, some have been asking about what happened to Lissa and the others. To be honest, I really don't like Lissa's character too much as I think she is too whiny and what not. Also, since this is a Dimitri-Rose fanfic, I want to keep it that way. Only the main characters will play a part in the story starting now meaning Nathan, Stan, Dimitri, Rose, Vladmir, and later on Adrian. Again, I'd like to remind that Stan will NOT be in a relationship with Rose. He simply has more of a fatherly role in this. Vladmir will also NOT be in a relationship with Rose. In this story, he only carries the role of being a mentor for Rose in terms of teaching her how to use darkness to her advantage. **

**Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter so review! The numbers have been dropping a bit, so let's try to get it back up to at least 8 or 9 per chapter? Please and thank you!**

**Also, for the next few days, I will not be updating because I will be out of town to go on a tour with my school band/orchestra for the weekend starting on Thursday. But, after, I promise to update for you guys! Thanks!**


	15. Chapter 15: Mystery Cinderella's Choice!

**So here's chapter 15! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter with Vladmir's entrance! Thanks to milifemiway, Rachel-rob-Sandwich, loventherussian17, roseskyangel, , RinKira, Jasha Maroi, snowgoose, xXx-CiCi-xXx, and Fee-sha14 for all the reviews! Keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot. **

**Chapter 15**

I stared at my hands after what Vladmir claimed. _'I can use magic?'_ "You're kidding. I can use magic?" I asked again to make sure. Vladmir simply nodded.

"Indeed, you can," He stated. Suddenly a knock came at the door and we both looked at it as it slowly opened. Dimitri entered and for a moment, I saw him flinch to see a stranger probably in my room.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked almost in a suspicious fashion. After what happened with the Strigoi, I couldn't blame him though.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" Vladmir asked back. Somehow, I felt tension between the two.

"Try me," Dimitri insisted.

"He's Vladmir as in St. Vladmir, the spirit user," I interjected before it got ugly.

"You're kidding," Dimitri almost scoffed. _'What is he so upset about?'_

"No. She's not. I've been fiddling with the darkness or dark power in Rose. I am the one who controls it," He explained.

"How is that possible? You were a spirit user. Plus there's no element for darkness. Isn't it only part of the energy from a bond?" Dimitri asked.

"I developed a new power, a new element. So to speak, the magic for darkness or dark magic. When Rose gained the bond between her and Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, it gave her dark magic. I thought if her body adjusted quickly, she'd be able to use the magic, but it didn't work like I planned because it hurt her more," Vladmir explained while brushing my hair a bit while I listened quietly.

"Okay, so why are you here and not dead, so to speak. Obviously, no offense of course," Dimitri asked.

"None taken. As to why I'm here, put it in simple terms, Rose has been the closest person to ever succeed in using this power without seriously getting hurt. However, when I sensed that she had this power, I left the world of the dead to find Rose. I entered through her darkness and tried to manipulate it a bit. That's what caused her mood swings. On the other hand, something is stirring and I need to get Rose to learn how to use this power. I fear something bad will happen so I need to be reassured that Rose can defend herself with this power. Only I can teach her how to control it," Vladmir explained further.

"Okay…" Dimitri seemed to be suspicious still. I quickly tried to sit up.

"Ow!" A sharp pain shot through my body. "Don't worry…he's…for real…" Dimitri walked over to me.

"Take it easy, don't hurt yourself." He put a hand on my stomach and when he withdrew it, it was covered with blood. "Roza…"

"I'm…fine…ugh…" Vladmir gently pressed me down onto the bed.

"The wound reopened…Rose, you have to take it easy," Dimitri scolded me.

"If I may," Vladmir interjected, putting his hand on my stomach. He started to heal the wound again.

"Ow…ow…ah…stop…" Vladmir stopped, looking concerned.

"Hey, you okay? Does it hurt?" He asked. I shifted uncomfortably a bit.

"Yeah…just a bit. It doesn't exactly…feel good being…stabbed," Vladmir looked away, almost guiltily in my perspective.

"Sorry…I should've put up a barrier," He admitted. _'I was right. He feels guilty for letting me get hurt.'_

"It's…alright," I tried to relax a bit. Instead, Dimitri held my hand while Vladmir healed me again.

"Uh…Guardian…" Vladmir started.

"Belikov. Call me Dimitri," Dimitri replied.

"Ah, of the Belikova family. I know them well. Anyways, Dimitri, if I may, may I coach Rose alongside with you?" When Vladmir finished, he looked at Dimitri. Dimitri nodded quite quickly.

"Of course. It would be an honor to work alongside you. When would you like to begin?" Dimitri asked.

"I'll follow the schedule the two of you have set up . For now, at least, after Rose heals," I smiled a bit.

"Of course. Rose, is that alright with you?" Dimitri was nice to ask of my permission. Obviously, I nodded.

"Yeah, of course that's fine. I have to get back into shape too eventually," I sat up and groaned.

"You shouldn't be moving around," The two of them said at the same time. I giggled. Dimitri gave me a kiss. For a minute, I was shocked, but I returned it just as passionately. I was tired of fighting him and to be honest, I knew that Dimitri never stopped loving me. I just wish I felt the same spark between us back when Lissa and I had escaped from the academy. Dimitri picked me up, right into his arms.

"I've missed you, my dear Roza," He held me tight.

"As have I," I told him. Vladmir suddenly cleared this throat. _'Oops.'_ Dimitri let go quickly, but Vladmir chuckled.

"You two look just like Anna and I when we were younger," He told us. I quickly pushed Dimitri back. _'Wait, what am I doing? Nathan still has his chance.'_

"Rose? Is something the matter?" Dimitri asked. I thought for a minute.

"No…nothing's wrong," I lied. _'I have to go find Nathan.'_

"Uh…alright…" Dimitri had picked a hint of something in my voice.

"I'm alright now. I actually have to go. I have something to do," I tried to escape.

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere. You're staying in the infirmary to heal," Vladmir told me.

"Yeah? Well, some other time would be nice," I pushed past them and headed to Kirova's office. _'Funny, usually I have to be sent there to go there.' _When I barged into the room, Nathan was in there looking at me, almost shocked or surprised. There was an envelope in Nathan's hand.

"Nathan…what are you doing?" He looked down at the envelope.

"I'm transferring…to another school," He simply told me. _'No…why? Why is he doing that?' _

"Why?" My voice was almost trembling. Kirova saw my discomfort.

"He wanted to transfer to another school, get more experience," She spoke. She definitely had no idea what was going on between us.

"No…that has to be a lie. Nathan, you know that's a lie," I told him.

"It's not a lie, Rose. I'm leaving so I can get more experience," He spoke firmly. He had that guardian mask that only Dimitri could utilize so well.

"Then tell me to my face that it isn't because you think I cheated on you!" I screamed at this point. Kirova looked shocked. When I looked at Nathan, tears streaming down my cheeks, he looked away.

"Say it! Say it and I'll let you go!" I yelled again. He still froze there. Suddenly, he came to me quickly. From the look on his face, he was angry. Just as I expected, he did something I knew was going to happen. He slapped me on the face.

"Grow up already!" He yelled before storming out. Without flinching, I turned and tore the envelope out of his hand and ripped it before he could stop me. "Hey!"

"I'm not letting you go. Not without a fight. And if you think you can stop me from not letting you go, then challenge me," Dimitri and Vladmir came over, quickly noting the tension. Dimitri quickly slammed Nathan into a wall as Vladmir held me back, trying to soothe me.

"What did you do to her Nathan? Answer me!" I saw Nathan's face and cried as Vladmir held me in his arms. Dimitri punched and kicked him.

"Stop it!" I screamed at Dimitri, but in Dimitri's fury, nothing could stop him. "I said stop it!" I struggled against Vladmir as I saw Nathan being thrown around like a rag doll. "Nathan!" I tore out of Vladmir's arms and quickly shielded Nathan with my powers just as Dimitri struck again. He stopped.

"Roza…Rose, get out of the way. He hurt you and I will not tolerate that!" He yelled. I had never seen Dimitri this angry.

"No! I'm not moving! I'm not the one hurt! I hurt Nathan! This is my fault to begin with…" I told Dimitri. He stopped, completely confused. Nathan looked scared from my behavior. "I'm so sorry…" I quickly got off him and ran back to my dorm, full speed.

"Rose!" Vladmir ran after me. I quickly stopped and hugged him, trying to transfer the darkness to him.

"I can't take it…" I whispered. He hugged me back as I felt energy drain from me.

"I know…I'm taking it back for a bit," When most of the darkness receded, I went to my room, alone. _'Did Nathan hate me that much? Am I that bad?'_ I sat next to my bed as I stayed quiet. I loathed myself. I probably destroyed what little friendship I had with Nathan left after that outburst. As I sat alone, wiping my tears myself for once, I stared outside the window. The sun would be coming up soon and tonight was a dance. I had planned for so long to go to this specific dance, but now, I didn't have even the energy to move. I turned off the lights in my room, hiding myself in darkness. As I sat in silence, I tried to enjoy the peace that I had. But that didn't last when my heart was being twisted. A knock came at the door, but I didn't say the traditional "Come in," to whoever it was. The person came in nonetheless so I didn't bother to shoo them away. It was Lissa anyways.

"Rose, are you okay?" She asked cautiously. I haven't seen her for a long while, so it's understandable how she would isolate me too. I looked away. "Rose, talk to me. I'm sorry I haven't helped you, but I miss you," She almost sounded whiny which really annoyed me at this point. I glared at her.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't mean anything. Get out," I opened the door for her and I saw her flinch. But instead of being affected like before, I closed my heart to anyone at this point. On the other hand, she whispered to me something before she left.

"Tonight's the dance you've been waiting for. Are you coming?" She asked timidly.

"I don't know. You'll see me there if I do," I told her almost reluctantly. _'Did I want to see her?'_ I questioned myself. She simply nodded before leaving. _'It's alright. She has to learn how to stand on her own two feet when she becomes queen.'_ I stayed like that until it was time for the ball. _'Thank god it's also a masquerade ball while I'm at it.'_ I looked at the clock. "It's 7 PM," I whispered to myself. The ball would be starting and I was nowhere near ready. Another knock suddenly was heard. This time I opened the door myself.

"Hey," I quickly looked up and saw Vladmir. I nodded and went back to leaning against my bed. "Why aren't you at the ball?" He asked.

"Is there a point in going? I'm not even ready," I told him. Suddenly a dark aura covered me as it transformed my clothes into what looked like Cinderella's ball gown except that it was black and red.

"A dress suited for a princess," He smiled. _'Princess? What princess?' _I scoffed, taking it as a joke or as a friendly remark. "I'm serious. You're the princess of darkness," I looked at the dress again and then at Vladmir.

"I have to go, don't I?" He nodded.

"Just try to enjoy yourself. Dance with Dimitri. Have fun with him. You don't have to keep your mind always on Nathan. What he did was what he did. He has a lot to think about," Vladmir pulled me up and I sighed. "Plus, I promised I would get you to do a favor for her," That's where I gave him a pissed look.

"The hell? You're just getting me to the ball so I can do some stupid favor for Kirova? No way then," I retorted.

"You're singing for the ball," He stated, almost ignoring what I had said before.

"What? No! I have nothing prepared," He gave me a certain look now.

"I know you sing. You're amazing at it too. When I was in your heart, I could hear your true thoughts. There are some things I know that you want to do for Dimitri or Nathan. You want to sing for them. Express your feelings the way you want to. Not what people expect you to do, but actually show them your feelings," He spoke out.

"But what about music then?" I asked. Vladmir knew me better than I knew myself so I knew there was no way to win this battle.

"I'll take care of that. I know which songs you want for each of them," He touched across my face and I felt a mask form. It was silver this time. "There. Perfect," I sighed. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_ I started heading to the auditorium. When I walked in, everyone stared at me. There were whispers of '_Who is that girl?' _or _'Why is she so late?'_ and '_Wow, she's beautiful. Just like a royal princess.'_ I tried to mix myself in but a sudden gust of wind pushed me a bit. _'Go. Be brave. Do what you've always wanted to do.'_ A whisper told me. Automatically, I knew that was Vladmir. I walked through the crowd and I noticed that all the guardians even noticed me. Vladmir was on stage when I looked up.

"Princess," He bowed as he put a hand out. I took it and stared at everyone from on stage. "You can do it," He whispered. "Okay, guys, may I have your attention for a minute please?" Suddenly, the whole crowd goes silent. I see Dimitri in the back, but he doesn't seem to recognize me in the disguise that Vladmir created for me. "So! We have a live performance tonight!" The crowd suddenly cheers, almost startling me. "She is a student at the Academy, but due to her preference, her identity will be kept a secret. This also is her first time performing so let's give a warm welcome to the Dark Rose!" Suddenly a thunderous applause went through the crowd. Vladmir bent down to me. "You can do it," He repeated. When the music started, I sighed, taking the microphone into my hand.

_Kiss me too fiercely  
Hold me too tight_

_I need help believing_

_You're with me tonight_

_My wildest dreamings_

_Could not foresee_

_Lying beside you_

_With you wanting me_

When the music picked up tempo, I started to forget about the crowd and just sing to my heart's desire. _'This is what I've wanted Dimitri to hear for a long time, haven't I?'_ I continued to sing.

_And just for this moment_

_As long as you're mine_

_I've lost all resistance_

_And crossed some borderline_

_And if it turns out_

_It's over too fast_

_I'll make every last moment last_

_As long as you're mine_

Suddenly, in the back, I saw Dimitri walk closer to the stage. _'What is he doing?'_ In his hand, I found a microphone that looked like he had been holding just recently. _'Does he know that it's me?'_ Nonetheless, I had to keep going and just watch. He started singing which caught me off guard.

_Maybe I'm brainless_

_Maybe I'm wise_

_But you've got me seeing _

_Through different eyes_

_Somehow I've fallen under your spell_

_And somehow I'm feeling_

_It's up that I fell_

I looked at Dimitri as he was on stage singing the same song with me. _'How did he know what I was singing? Did Vladmir set this all up?'_ I quickly looked at Vladmir who seemed to be smiling. When my part with Dimitri came up, I started again. The both of us sang in sync.

_Every moment_

_As long as you're mine_

_I'll wake up my body_

_And make up for lost time_

Dimitri had a solo part for a tiny bit, so I let him sing

_Say there's no future_

_For us as a pair_

I joined back in for my last duet part with him.

_And though I may know_

_I don't care_

_Just for this moment_

_As long as you're mine_

_Come be how you want to _

_And see how bright we shine_

_Borrow the moonlight_

_Until it is through_

_And know I'll be here holding you_

_As long as you're mine_

Just as the music ended, and I turned to leave stage for a short moment, Dimitri reached for me, startling me. I quickly backed away.

"Roza!" He yelled. I freeze almost instantly. He started to grab my wrist but Vladmir quickly got on stage.

"Guardian Belikov, she is not Rose. I'm sorry," Dimitri let go of me as I stared at him. Since Vladmir stood in between us, Dimitri tried to catch another glance, but suddenly Nathan got involved too. _'He senses that you're in jeopardy.'_ Vladmir sent me a telepathic message.

"Belikov, Rose is still in her room. If you want her, go there," Dimitri seemed to finally get the message and backed off.

"Can you still sing?" Vladmir asked, seeing my hands tremble.

"Uh..yeah…I'll be fine. Did you set this up?" I asked back. Vladmir nodded.

"He'll find out it's you by the end of the night, but until then, tell him all the feelings you've been keeping inside you. Let him hear your voice, and call him to you like a beautiful siren," He touched my cheek a bit. I nodded. "Good girl. Now, time to go back on stage!" _'Well, here goes nothing!'_ I ran back on stage for the second performance.

**So! I'm back from my trip and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for all the reviews guys and keep it up! I love all the reviews. Yes, I added a song in it so please don't send me things like 'they shouldn't be singing' or 'it's not like them to sing.'**__**The fact is that I came back from my band trip after seeing the musical Wicked and I totally loved this song. It's called 'As Long As You're Mine.'**


	16. Chapter 16: Lost and Betrayed

**Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy the past few days. Anyways, here's chapter 16! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks to edward-alexander-henry-angel, Rachel-rob-Sandwich, SassYNoles, loventherussian17, , MaggieChauvin, Roseskyangel, Nicia, Sherryangel, and xXx-CiCi-xXx for all the wonderful reviews! Keep it up! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own this plot or the VA characters!**

**Chapter 16**

I sighed. _'Why was Vladmir making me do this anyways? To just tell the whole world I love Dimitri?'_ I took a drink of water and looked at the time. _'Two more minutes until show time…again…'_ I had already changed to another outfit to keep my anonymity a secret still. This time the song was a Disney song. Yes, I listen to Disney songs, whatever. The music started and since this was a calm one, I sat on the side of the stage rather than stand. When my part came in, I started singing. This time, no one would interfere since there was only one part.

_The earth is cold_

_The fields are bare_

_The branches fold against the wind that's everywhere_

I sighed again and then took a deep breath to keep going.

_The birds move on_

_So they survive_

_When snow so deep_

_The bears all sleep to keep themselves alive_

_They do what they must for now_

_And thrust in their plan_

_If I trust in mine, somehow I might find who I am_

I saw Dimitri in the back looking straight at me. By now, it was almost as good as done knowing that it was me doing the singing. But this time, instead of happy, he looked concerned, probably due to the choice of the song.

_But where do I go from here?_

_So many voices ringing in my ear_

_Which is the voice that I was meant to hear?_

_How will I know? _

_Where do I go from here?_

This time, I looked straight at Nathan, trying to hint the part was directed towards him. If he was going to understand my feelings, I had to be blunt about it.

_My world has changed and so have I_

_I've learned to choose_

_And even learned to say goodbye_

_The path ahead, so hard to see_

_It winds and bends, but where it ends_

_Depends on only me_

Then I looked back at Dimitri. Indeed he was concerned now. He had picked up the clue that I was completely lost in my life and to be honest, it was true. With Dimitri, Nathan, Stan, and even Vladmir all in my life, I've barely hung out with my own friends anymore. I didn't belong with them anymore. I wasn't part of them anymore.

_In my heart I don't feel part of so much I've known_

_Now it seems it's time to start_

_A new life on my own_

_But where do I go from here? _

_So many voices ringing in my ear_

_Which is the voice that I was meant to hear?_

_How will I know?_

_Where do I go from here?_

The song finally came to an end as everyone clapped. Thing was, I wasn't smiling. After singing the song and understanding them again, I barely had the courage to even stay on stage anymore. _'Why was I hiding from Dimitri? Why did I feel like I'm so afraid to come to him anymore? What was I so scared of?'_ As the first couple tears fell from my cheeks, behind my mask, people awed. But Dimitri didn't. He ran to the stage full force and held me tight.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you," He soothed me. _'It doesn't matter. It changes nothing.'_ I pushed him back.

"I'm sorry," I finally left the stage for good this time, leaving Dimitri on the stage with Vladmir. As I exited the gymnasium where the dance was held, I felt a cold gust of wind and shuddered, trying to keep more tears from falling. _'I shouldn't be crying. I shouldn't be crying at all.'_

"Roza!" I turned to see Dimitri running out of the gym, spotting me quickly. I backed away, and then started to run. _'I'm afraid of disappointing him. That's why.'_ Finally, he caught my hand. "Princess!" I stopped as he yelled that. "Please, princess, stop running. Stop running from me," He begged. I struggled a bit before I knew it was pointless, and stopped. "Roza, stop running from me," He spoke quietly before turning me to him. My cheeks were soaked from the tears and he hugged me. "Cry as much as you want. Just don't run anymore," He told me.

"I…I can't…I have to…I…" I tried to speak.

"Shh…calm down first. Then tell me what's going on," He ran his fingers through my hair. Vladmir came out.

"Is she alright?" Vladmir asked. Dimitri shushed him.

"I don't know. Why did you do this to her? Why did you make her suffer this much?" Dimitri asked Vladmir quietly.

"I didn't. You did. She's been singing to herself these songs. She's been trying to tell you what she sang just now. She didn't have the courage before," Vladmir rubbed my neck a bit. "Dimitri, she can't be a guardian. You know that. No matter how much she was meant to protect Princess Vasilisa, her feelings are getting trampled over by everyone. She doesn't know what she can do anymore," Vladmir tried to calm me down. I flinched and he looked at me oddly. "Look at her. She can't even be around us anymore. She's so scared it's not even funny," I took a step back. Dimitri looked at me and I backed away further. "This was what I was trying to avoid. When her emotions are like this, one crack, and she'll lose it," They looked at me like a zoo animal.

"Rose? Rose? Calm down alright? We're not going to hurt you," Dimitri spoke. I shook my head. Suddenly, I saw a glint in the bushes. _'What is that?'_ "Roza, let's go back," Dimitri insisted. I stood there frozen as I kept seeing a glint in the bushes.

"Something's in the bushes," I told them. When the both of them looked, the glare was gone.

"Rose, you're seeing things. Nothing's there," Vladmir told me. _'Why don't they see it?'_

"I'm not! There's something in the bushes. It's giving off a bright light," I told them. When the light appeared again, I figured that one way to find out is just to approach it. Dimitri and Vladmir followed behind me. Then, what I saw horrified me. _'Tasha…'_ When I looked carefully, I noticed, she looked like a Strigoi. Then, the same hesitation came around, freezing me there as she ran and suddenly had a strong grip on my neck.

"Finally, after all this time, I can have the pleasure of eliminating my competition," She growled. I coughed as her grip tightened around my throat.

"Rose!" I turned just enough so I saw Vladmir and Dimitri in a defensive position.

"Let…let me go!" I struggled. Tasha smirked and when her grip tightened once more, I gasped.

"Let her go!" Vladmir yelled. I felt a spark within me, but I couldn't concentrate enough to give my powers to Vladmir so he could help. "Forget her, Rose. I need your power to get you free," He yelled. I started seeing black spots in my vision.

"Tasha, I love you!" Suddenly, Tasha dropped me and I stared, speechless at Dimitri.

"You…" Vladmir started.

"Come here," Tasha ran right into Dimitri's arms as he hugged her. I looked at Dimitri and he looked away. _'Was he trying to protect me?'_

"I love you too, Dimka," She whispered. That finally did it. After everything I worked for, this was the end. Tears streamed down my face. They kissed and wind picked up.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I can't love you anymore," He told me loud and clear.

"Belikov, my warning!" Dimitri looked at me and without a second doubt, darkness burst out from me forming a pair of black-feathered wings. My transformation became immediate. I didn't bother controlling it now. There was no control anymore as I concentrated a mass amount of energy in front of me. When it exploded, a gust of dark wind blew through and the trees quickly caught on fire.

"Rose!" Vladmir yelled. I glared at him, and then left the both of them, flying off to wherever could be called a sanctuary now. When I landed, I was at the dorms. My wings closed as I walked into the dorms. When I had more room, I released my wings again. People whispered and everything, but I didn't care. I couldn't care. My heart felt like it had just given out on me. I felt no heartbeat. I was living on pure instincts. Slowly, I started running, and before I knew it, I ran to Stan's room, pounding on the door.

"Who is it?" He asked through the door. I kept pounding until he opened it.

"Rose, what are you-" He stopped. "Rose, what happened?" I looked around his room for his stake. "Rose, answer me," He tried to stop me.

"It hurts…" I told him.

"What does? What's hurting you?" He asked warily.

"Everything," I found his stake and slashed my wrist.

"Rose!" I fell to the floor. He picked me up into his arms quickly bringing me to the infirmary. Everything was a blur until I blacked out from the lack of blood.

_Few hours later…_

"Is she alright?" I opened my eyes slowly to see a heart monitor beeping. "Rose, can you hear me?" I looked towards the direction of the voice. When I tried to answer, nothing came out.

"Rose?" I tried to answer again, only to hear silence. I screamed, but nothing came out.

"Stan, she's lost the ability to speak," I looked at the doctor, shocked at what I had just heard.

"How? That's not possible!" Stan demanded.

"It is. Trauma caused it for whatever reason. Something probably scarred her and her mind cannot allow her to speak," The doctor explained. I looked down. _'It's only right something like this would happen. It doesn't matter much anyways. It's not like I have anything left to say.'_ I tried to smile for Stan, but he wouldn't have it. He quickly pulled me into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you," I shook my head and touched his face. Quickly, I found a piece of paper and a pen and started writing.

_It's alright. I'm fine for the most part. Doesn't that count?_

He tried to smile. "Of course it counts," he spoke.

"Anyways, if you want to take her back, you can. Nothing is wrong with her physically. Her voice will come back in due time when it is ready so it's nothing permanent," The doctor reassured.

"Alright then. Rose, do you want to come to my place in the meantime?" He asked. I nodded. Any place would be better than the infirmary. When I tried to get out of the bed, my wrist stung and I flinched. "Ah, Dr. Olendski, do you have something to support the hand? A brace perhaps?" The doctor nodded and left quickly, coming back a few minutes later. Stan took it from her and looked at me. "Give me your hand," I reached my hand out and he slipped the brace on nice and easy. "Good?" I nodded. "Okay, we'll go now," He started to move, but I couldn't move. My body refused to move. "Rose?" He bent down to me where I started crying again. Instead of comforting me, he simply picked me up into his arms and carried me down the hallway allowing me to cry where no one saw us. When my sobs stopped, I felt drowsy on Stan's shoulder. That was, until he came to a halt in his walking. "Belikov…" I turned to see Dimitri, gasping for air. I stared at him with an icy glare.

"Can I talk to her?" Dimitri asked Stan while looking at me. Stan looked back at me too.

"Rose? Can I let you down for a minute?" I nodded and he put me down. "Close your ears and eyes sweetheart," He told me. I did as told though. I even turned around. When nothing happened, I turned back. I saw Dimitri on the floor, panting as Stan beat him. My arms dropped to my sides and I collapsed onto my knees. My body shook as I looked in terror. "I warned you not to mess with her. Just as you love her, I will protect her until my dying breath. I may hate her rebellious part, but she is just an ordinary girl still. You knew better than to betray her no matter the reason! I will not tolerate you hurting her anymore!" _'Why isn't he fighting back? Get up! Get up!'_ I tried to scream but nothing came out. Finally, I dashed towards Dimitri and tackled him just as Stan threw another punch.

"Rose…" Dimitri groaned. I stood up and put my arms out to protect him.

"He hurt you. I don't understand. Why are you protecting him?" He asked, relaxed now. I sighed, putting my arms down. I motioned to Stan to turn around as I traced letters into his back.

'_There's no reason to hurt him. He's protecting me from Tasha as long as he's with her.'_

I looked back at him to see if he understood. He simply nodded.

"I understand," Stan held my hand. I smiled back. Then as I turned to Dimitri, I glared at him.

"Roza, please forgive me," He bowed his head to me. I slapped him. Then, using my dark powers, I spelled out words rather than writing them out.

'_Don't treat me like a child! You always treat me like a child! I could've fought back!'_

"How? And how would you plan that out?" He roared back. I flinched. "Rose, you are a child. You're a child in my book until you're eighteen, which you're not," He told me. _'Great. I'm being lectured again.'_

"Rose, you don't have to take this from him," Stan told me. I looked back at him. I used my dark powers again.

'_That's not why I'm angry! Dimitri,I know you did it to protect me. But how could you throw away my love for you as well as your love away that fast? Do you know how worthless it made me feel? Huh? Do you? It made me feel like a freaking blood whore to you! It made me feel like a toy that you could throw away at any moment! Just what am I to you?'_

He flinched this time.

'_Now you have to be with her and I can't tell you otherwise.'_

He looked down. "I know. I'm sorry," I turned and left with Stan. "Wait!" I looked back at Dimitri. "At least tell me why you're not speaking,"

'_Because of Tasha's grip on my neck and because of you.'_

Stan quickly pulled me away from Dimitri. "You know you didn't have to do that," He stated. I nodded as we arrived at Stan's room. "Is your voice okay? I mean I know you can't speak, but does it hurt?" He handed me a glass of water. I drank it and laid down on his bed. I shook my head signaling that I was alright for the most part. When tears fell, he held me in his warm embrace. _'Why was I losing everything that I've worked so hard for? Why does it feel so hard to breathe now?' _Stan covered my eyes as I cried. "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm sorry that you've suffered so much. I'm sorry that I've let it go this far," After another few minutes, I calmed with Stan stroking my hair. When he stopped, I saw him look at the clock. Using dark powers, I created another message.

_Do you have a shift to go to?_

He looked at me worriedly and then nodded. "But I'll skip today-" I cut him off by shaking my head.

_Go. I'll be fine. You have a job to get back to. I've caused you enough trouble as is._

"Are you sure?" He asked. Wiping my tears, I smiled, nodding. I mouthed the word 'go' to him and he stood up. Right as he was about to leave, he stopped. "Don't hurt yourself anymore. If you need anything, call me. You don't need to say anything either. When my phone rings, I'll come here right away, okay? There's some ice cream in the freezer and some soda in the refrigerator and maybe some snacks. Make yourself at home. Just, try not to destroy anything?" I could tell he was trying to joke, but it almost came out like it was forced. I simply nodded and he left. _'Well, if he insists…'_ I eyed the refrigerator and freezer.

When I opened it, I found the right ingredients needed to make myself a ice cream float. After making it, I turned on the TV and just relaxed; something I missed dearly. But after flipping through the channels, I felt the void in my heart grow. I quickly finished the ice cream float and put it in the sink then heading back to the bed. I laid down and just stared at nothing. I had given up Dimitri to Tasha because of my carelessness. Because of my weakness…it's my fault. I could hear Tasha's voice ringing in my mind whispering the words 'I won' over and over again. _'Stop…give him back…'_ I thrashed as the thought haunted me over and over again. _'NO!' _As my anger grew at an exponential rate, the windows in Stan's room shattered. Then as my dark powers grew beyond my controls, vases, and anything that was fragile shattered around me including his coffee table and mirrors.

"Rose!" I quickly looked at the door. That was Nathan's voice. Suddenly Dimitri's voice was added in as well as Stan's.

"Rose! Sweetheart, open the door!" Stan yelled. My body was shaking so much that I couldn't move. I heard some type of key inserted into the door lock and the door swung open.

"Woah!" Nathan stopped the both of them. "Look," They all stared at the ground as glass was everywhere. My wings grew out and I stared at them with an empty stare.

"Rose? Are you alright now?" Stan cautiously asked. As my vision swirled, I started falling forward. Stan ran through the shards of glass and caught me before I fell onto the floor. "Hey, sweetheart? Can you hear me?" I was gasping. The surge of power rushed through my body and I cringed in pain. Eventually Vladmir, found us as well.

"Guardian Alto, if you may," Vladmir came through to me, supporting my stomach so I wouldn't fall. Stan backed away.

"Rose? I'm going to fix this alright? Just don't move. This won't hurt at all," Vladmir cooed to me as I looked at him wearily. He started singing.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the Fates' design_

_Save what has been lost _

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine_

Suddenly, from Vladmir's hands came a golden glow as he touched my back. I felt it enter me as it slowly pushed out the darkness. It felt nice as I relaxed. The glass around all of us reformed and fit the windows and everything again. My wings slowly receded too.

"That's a good girl," Vladmir stroked my back. "She should be alright now. Exhausted, but safe," Stan rushed back over to me to lay me down on his bed.

"Get some rest, my angel. You must be tired," Stan stroked my hair a bit as my eyes finally closed and everything turned black.

**Well, it seems like Dimitri has learned…absolutely nothing! On the other hand, what is Tasha up to? And what about Rose's darkness that's growing out of control? Vladmir probably should start coaching her soon the minute she gets well.**

**Anyways, keep reviewing! You guys are the best!**


	17. Chapter 17: Apology and Forgiveness

**So here's chapter 17! I'm really glad that everyone's enjoying the story so far! Thanks to SassYNoles, Nicia, roseskyangel, Sherryangel, loventherussian17, NarianneNorthmanCullen, , snowgoose, Jasha Maroi, and Rachel-rob-Sandwich for all the reviews! Keep it up you guys! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or this plot**

**Chapter 17**

_Next morning…_

"Rose?" I felt someone shake me a bit. I slowly opened my eyes. _'Who is it?'_ It was Stan. He looked worried. "Hey, are you okay?" I sat up and looked at the time. '_It's 6 AM…'_ "You looked like you were having a nightmare. Is everything alright?" He rubbed my back a bit. I nodded slowly. I used my powers to communicate permanently now. It was better than trying to write out everything.

_Yeah. I'm fine. _

"Okay. Just take it easy. You've just recently got well," He warned me. I nodded again.

_I know. Actually, I need to find Vladmir. I need to start my training so get this power thing worked out. I'm still new to this and it's caused a lot of trouble so far. _

Stan looked worried. He brushed my hair aside. "Are you sure about that? You can take another day or so off before getting back into the hang of things," I shook my head.

_No. I need to get back to training. I'm heading back to my room. Thanks for everything._

"Are you coming to class then?" He asked. I froze. To be honest, I didn't want to. Everyone by now probably saw me as a monster. "I promise I won't yell at you or give you detention," He joked.

_Now, now, Stanny boy, you can't go easy on me just yet._

I tried to smile. He started laughing. "Alright, your call," He got up and got dressed. Before I left his room, he called my name again. "Rose, come here for a minute," I went back to him. He suddenly ruffled my hair and I swatted him away.

_Damn! What was that for?_

He laughed. "Rose, I promise you. I'll protect you from harm and if need be, I'll protect you from Belikov," He finally looked serious. Grabbing a drink from the refrigerator and his coat, he started heading to his class. I pulled on his sleeve. "Yes?"

_You don't eat breakfast? Why don't you get something at the cafeteria?_

He chuckled. "I usually don't eat breakfast. Maybe that's why you can get onto my nerves so easily," _'Again with the jokes…'_ I sighed. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before we parted ways. _'I guess being an angel of darkness has its benefits.'_ I started heading to Vladmir's room. When I knocked on the door, I heard a lady giggle. _'Wait…Vladmir…couldn't have been a womanizer? Could he?'_ The door opened.

"Little dhampir?" I looked up quickly to see a lady in the room and Adrian in front of me. _'Shit, wrong room.'_ I quickly waved my hands in front to signal that I had knocked on the wrong door. He pointed to a door on the opposite side. "If you're looking for Vladmir, his room's across from mine," I looked at the door. I sighed and headed over as the door closed. _'Damn. That's not what I had to see early in the morning.'_ I knocked on Vladmir's door. He opened it.

"Rose, hey, what's up? Is everything alright?" I nodded.

_Since I'm alright now, can we start training on magic? _

He looked at me worriedly too. "Are you sure? You just passed out yesterday," I nodded.

_I'm okay now. Plus, I better get this thing in control._

Vladmir looked at me sternly. I guess it was to see if there was any hesitation. After a minute, he nodded. "Alright, we'll head to the gym," He left his room and we headed to the gym. As I watched from the side benches, he set the gym up with some mats. When he was done, he motioned for me to get down. "Okay so here's what we'll start up with. Just something simple," He used some dark energy to form a sphere in his hand. "This is the basic move you first learned called Shadow Ball," I did it with ease. "Now, you have to make sure you concentrate. Because if you don't-" Suddenly the ball exploded and sent me flying into some mats. He laughed. "Because if you don't, it does that," I blew my hair aside and pouted. _'Could've told me that earlier…'_ I tried it again and concentrated. "Good. Now, see how the energy is swirling in random directions?" I nodded. "Concentrate and think of a direction. When you've concentrated enough, the energy will start moving. As the energy rotates faster, it gives you more access to the power. Like when you shoot an arrow or pull the trigger on a gun. The force used to push it makes it deadlier, right?" I nodded. "So logistically speaking, the faster the arrow, the more damage it does. That, or it won't pierce anything. Understand?" I nodded again. "Good. Get working. Turn it left for now," I closed my eyes and concentrated on the energy.

"Good, it's spinning a bit," I focused more. As I opened my eyes, it was really spinning. When I started to smile, Vladmir yelled.

"Focus!" I returned to my serious face, hiding the snicker. "Focus!" He reminded me. I dispelled the shadow ball. "I didn't say stop," He commanded. _'God, he's just as bad as Comrade.'_ I started again, getting the energy to spin. When it spun faster, Vladmir clapped.

"Good! Now, push it and fire it at me," I looked at him worriedly. "Don't worry," I nodded and pushed it, seeing the ball fly quickly right at Vladmir. It hit him directly, forcing him to step back. He winced in pain. I ran to him. "I'm fine. Don't worry," He healed himself quickly. "That much spin does that much damage. So you realize now that you need it a lot faster, right?" I nodded firmly. "Good, start it again. This time, I want it two times faster," He sat off to the side to watch. I created a third one and it spun almost automatically. "The good thing is that once you learn it once, the memory of how to do it stays forever so the minute you think of it, it'll already be done automatically," The ball spun at the same rate it did before. As I concentrated, the ball spun faster. "Keep it steady!" I calmed it a bit and the spin grew faster little by little. "Good, now spin it to the right," I focused but nothing happened. "You need to slow the spin and start over. Just spin to the right now," I stopped the spin and saw the energy move in all directions. However, as minutes passed, the energy started to shift to the right and swirled a bit. "Keep going. You're getting there," I forced it to spin faster and it did. Finally, I dispelled it, already breathing hard. "Good, we'll end it here for today. You should head on to Guardian Alto's class," I collapsed to my knees. "Hey, you okay?" Vladmir rushed over. I gasped for air. "Take deep breaths," He instructed as I calmed down. "Better?" I nodded and stood up. "You sure?" I nodded again, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then I headed to Stan's class. As I walked down the hallway, I saw swirls. _'Damn. This isn't going to go well.'_ I slowed my pace. A surge of darkness shocked my body and I winced in pain. When it stopped, I kept going, finally reaching Stan's class. I leaned against the door a bit before heading in.

"Rose, I was expecting you. Go to your seat," Stan told me. It used almost all my effort just to get there and sit down. By now, my head was throbbing, making it almost impossible to concentrate. Another surge went through my body and I winced.

"Rose? You okay?" A girl asked. I nodded to her, but winced. "You sure? You don't look too well," I signaled to her that it was alright.

"Is something wrong, Miss Erumina?" Stan asked.

"Yeah, Rose doesn't look too well and I was worried," As I looked at Stan, he gave me a firm look. He was waiting for me to signal to him what was wrong.

_I'm fine, Stan. I'm-_

Another surge came again and I cried out in pain. Finally, he ran up to me. "Rose, I told you not to train. This is what I wanted to avoid," He rubbed my back. "Just calm down and relax a bit," He tried to soothe me. When the powers died down, I rested in Stan's arms a bit. "Class, read pages eighty-nine to one hundred," The class did as told. "Do you want to return to my room?" I nodded. "Belikov!" I looked and saw Dimitri stare at us. He had a sad expression on his face. "Take over for a minute, will you?" Stan picked me up, but I told him to put me down. I made my way to Dimitri and stared at him for a bit.

"Roza? Are you okay?" I didn't give him an answer though. One tear made its way down and hit the floor before I turned away from him, leaving with Stan. When we got back to Stan's room, he put me on his bed, dimming the lights. He felt my forehead a bit. "You're a bit warm," I looked at him, dazed a bit. He headed to his medicine cabinet, handing me a Tylenol and Advil. "The Tylenol will make sure you don't have a fever and the Advil is for the headache. Take those and go to sleep. Call me when you wake or if you're hungry or something," He tucked me into bed after I took the medicine. "Goodnight, dear," He finally turned off the lights and left. Eventually, I fell asleep too. Using the dark energy had drained more from me than I imagined.

_Several hours later…_

I quickly got out of bed. _'What happened?'_ I looked at the clock. _'It's already 6 PM.'_ Since I had nothing to do, I started playing with my powers a bit, juggling a shadow ball back and forth. It was fairly easy to handle now that Vladmir had taught me how to control the shadow ball. _'Just what am I supposed to do now?'_ I stared out the window. The sun was coming up. I dispelled the shadow ball and stepped outside Stan's room. Aimlessly, I walked down the hallway. I started to feel guilty about Dimitri. He was trying to protect me and I pushed him away. Without Dimitri, it was painful. I didn't want to live. I needed him back. I needed Tasha dead. I started running down the hallway. To where, I didn't know. The dark powers enveloped my body and before I knew it I was in some type of beast's body. I looked like a wolf, all dark purple, glowing with darkness everywhere. _'I have to find Dimitri. I have to get Comrade.'_ I ran throughout the school, kids screaming when they saw me. I didn't care. _'Dimitri, Dimitri, where are you?'_

"Rose!" I stopped and turned to the voice. It was Vladmir. I growled at him. "Rose, stop this. This isn't you. You need to keep your emotions controlled. If you don't, you will hurt the students," He lectured me. I roared. "Rose, listen to me. I know you're hurt. Really, I do. But you can't do this. You can cry and scream all you want, but you cannot get to this form. This will envelope you and eat at your mind," He slowly approached me.

_DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!_

Vladmir instantly backed off. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm only here to help you," He spoke calmly.

"What's going on?" Suddenly waves of guardians came out and pulled out their stake at me.

"Put down those weapons!" Vladmir commanded. Everyone withdrew their weapons.

"Rose!" This time it was Stan. "Rose, listen to me. You've got to calm your emotions down," I shook my head violently.

_I need Dimitri…I need him back…and if you guys stand in my way, I will kill you._

The guardians started taking out their stakes out again.

"I said, put them down!" Vladmir yelled at them. "Stan, go get Dimitri. Fast. This is going to turn ugly real soon," Stan ran off in a direction. I snarled at the other guardians and they flinched. "ROSE!" He finally yelled. I growled. "Stan went to get Dimitri. He's coming. I just need you to calm down first," My dark powers suddenly burst out and I roared again. When some of the guardians tried to sneak up on me, I used my tail and slammed four of them into a wall.

_Do not mess with me._

"ROZA!" I finally turned to the voice. It was Dimitri. "Roza, are you hurt?" He slowly approached me.

"Belikov, don't touch her. The dark flames on her will burn you," Dimitri flinched and I withdrew a bit. _'He's scared of me?'_

"No. I'm done trying to run away from her. I made a million mistakes, most of them running from her and abandoning her. And Rose? I'm sorry. I should've thought things through before lying to Tasha," He touched my face but the flames burned him. He quickly withdrew his hand and I backed away from him.

_Don't touch me. You'll hurt yourself._

Dimitri gave a gentle smile. "Haven't we done enough running away from each other? I'm not scared of you. You're my Roza. You will always be my Roza. Nothing will ever change that," He touched me again, but this time the flames didn't burn him. "I know you won't hurt me. I trust that you won't hurt me," He spoke.

_No, you shouldn't trust me! I can hurt you just like I hurt those four guardians! I'm a monster and you know it!_

Dimitri came closer and I backed away.

_I don't need your pity and I don't need anyone else's. I was abandoned by my own mother! I was abandoned by you and I was abandoned by my dad. The only reason you are trying to calm me down is because you think I might hurt everyone else. Isn't that right?_

He looked away, guilt in his eyes.

_You wouldn't have come if Stan didn't call you and you know that._

I snarled at him before jumping out a window and running into the forest. When I was deep into the forest, I stood still. _'That's right. Having this power already made me a monster. What difference would it be if I actually looked it?'_ I laid down on my side, still in my beast form. As I tried to sleep again, I felt rain starting to come down. My tears started mixing with the rain. My size shrunk a bit until I looked like a normal sized wolf of some sort. When I suddenly heard the sound of leaves crunching, I knew someone was coming. It was Dimitri. As he came closer, I turned the other way. He touched my dark purple fur which was no longer burning. I growled menacingly.

"You know, if I don't do this, you'll die out here," He spoke calmly and quietly. I didn't respond back.

_Do what you want. I'm not going back there._

"That's fine. I don't expect you to after what all of us have done to you. In fact, you have every right to be angry," He continued. I quickly turned and tackled him. He grunted as he fell.

_Don't tell me what I'm feeling. Weren't you the one to say that? I don't need this from you. I don't need your sympathy when you have no idea what I'm feeling. You don't know what it feels like to know you're a monster and everyone also thinks that! You don't know anything! Not when everyone treats you like a god! Not when you get everything you want! I didn't grow up like you! You had your mother at least, your grandmother and your sisters! I HAD NO ONE! I grew up by myself! I was blamed on most of the time! You don't even know me, SO DON'T GIVE ME YOUR ZEN LIFE LESSONS NOW! _

I roared at him at this point, before clawing him in the chest. He doubled over in pain. "Roza…"

_I'm a monster, a beast. I look like a wolf for god sakes!_

He was bleeding heavily so he was barely moving. It hurt me to see him like this, but I had to make my point across.

_I know you must think that I'm losing it. But I haven't been myself for a long time. I've changed._

Vladmir ran out and saw us. "Belikov!" He started healing him. "Rose, why are you doing this? You know this isn't right!" Vladmir yelled.

_SINCE WHEN WERE THINGS EVER RIGHT TO BEGIN WITH?_

Dimitri looked at me weakly before passing out from the loss of blood.

_Get him to the infirmary._

"What about you?" Vladmir asked. "You'll catch a cold out here. Why don't you come back with us? If you need isolation, I can lock you in a room, but at least you won't catch a cold. How does that sound? And it'll be a room where only you can lock and unlock it," I looked at him suspiciously.

_Fine._

Vladmir walked next to me quietly, not even scolding me.

_Aren't you angry at me?_

"Why should I? I was part of the reason you were angry. You have every right to be angry at all of us. We've misjudged you. At least on my behalf and Dimitri's, I'm sorry," He told me as we walked back to the school. When Dimitri was checked into the infirmary, Vladmir led me to an empty room. "Do you need any furniture?" He asked. I nodded as I looked around. There were no windows or mirrors either, only the room and a bathroom.

_Just a bed._

Vladmir nodded and got some guardians to move a bed in. "Here's the key to the lock. When you're ready to come out, just use this to unlock it," I nodded as he left the key on the floor near the door before leaving. _'I wonder when I'll change back?'_ I thought as Vladmir left. I laid down onto the floor as I whimpered a bit.

_Why am I so different? Why me?_

The silence was calming and before I knew it, I was staring at empty space, unmoving. Finally I stood up and paced a bit back and forth. I was still agitated, but for what reason unknown. I had let most of my anger out on Dimitri already. What more was I looking for? When I tried to claw at a wall, a force pushed me back. Vladmir probably enchanted the room so I could fire away to my heart's content without destroying the room. I clawed harder at the walls, trying to expend the rest of my anger. Then I tackled them harder and harder. Finally, when I calmed down, I climbed into bed to relax only to find out I was starting to revert back. When I was back to normal, my anger was gone. I just felt lonely after this point. When I saw the key still on the floor, I picked it up and stared at it. _'I guess it's time to go.'_ I unlocked the door and saw a bunch of gifts sitting at the door varying from bouquets of roses to cards, candies, and make up. When I took them in, opening each card, I began reading them.

_I'm sorry if we mistreated you. ~Headmistress Kirova and Alberta_

_Rose, we're sorry for not caring when you needed us most. ~Lissa, Christian, Eddie, and Mia_

_Little dhampir, why didn't you come to me for help? I'm sorry for ignoring you otherwise. ~Adrian_

_Although we really didn't do anything, this is from our gang. Sorry. ~Jesse and Ralf_

_We are ashamed of our actions. Sorry. ~Guardian Yuri and others_

_I'm sorry if I ever hurt your feelings or ignored them. ~Dr. Olendski_

_Rose, we don't really know how to say this, but we're sorry for abandoning you at the school when you were little. It was wrong of us to do so, but you have to understand that we were scared because we didn't feel ready to care for a child. But now that we see the consequences of our actions, we're sorry for hurting you so much before. ~ Your parents, Janine Hathaway and Abe Mazur_

_I guess I should have a say in this too. Rose, I'm sorry for hurting you so much with all this darkness. I know it's driving you crazy and you are so amazing to be able to bear with it all. This time, you simply cracked, and that's alright. We did so many awful things to you without realizing. If you want to start up the lessons soon, feel free to find me. ~Vladmir_

_Rose, I know I tell you this many times and maybe it's because of our awkward relationship that you can't come forward yet, but I'm sorry. I know we've had our fair share of fights due to your rude behavior in class, but keep in mind, I know about your background. You try to get attention because you haven't gotten it from your parents. I'm always here to support you as a fellow teacher, and maybe eventually as a friend. Hope to see you in class soon. And again, I apologize if I have wronged you any. ~Stan Alto_

_Roza, where do I even begin? I'll just say, I'm sorry for everything. I hurt you more than I realized I guess. I guess I'm quite the hypocrite for telling you one thing yet I do the opposite of what I say. You're right, I don't understand your behavior because I'm not shadow-kissed or bonded to someone else. Roza, I have a lot to learn still. I'm not perfect like you said. I have my flaws. I just choose not to share them with others. I know I've done a lot to you and I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive me. I love you and I always will continue to love you. Don't ever doubt that. And if you're worried about how you scratched me, don't worry, I'll be fine. Don't blame yourself either. You were hurt and none of us took the time to listen to you. That's my fault too. I'm sorry and if I have to, I will say it to you a million times over until you believe it. I'll be waiting for you in the infirmary. Get yourself checked out too maybe just to make sure you're okay. ~D_

When I realized it, I was crying. Everyone had apologized to me. I had to see Dimitri. I had a part in this apology and the one I had to apologize to was Dimitri. When I got up to run to the infirmary, I tripped over a small box.

_What is this?_

I opened the small box and inside was a ring. Tears streamed down. Inside was a note that I read.

_I know this isn't the proper way of doing things and I know you're not old enough so for now, it can be like a promise ring I guess. When you're eighteen, I'll get you a better ring, one that can only match up to your beauty. And then, I'll also do all the cheesy stuff you want me to do for you. But for now, will you marry me? ~D_

That finally did the trick as I made a mad dash for the infirmary. The sun was already up and it was close to midnight, but I kept running with every ounce of energy I had left. When I burst into the infirmary, I saw a bunch of guardians around a bed. They looked like they had been crying.

"Rose…" I heard the heart monitor go flat and what I thought was a nightmare finally shot me through the heart. I looked at Dimitri. He looked like he was sleeping.

_WAKE UP! WAKE THE GODDAMN UP, DIMITRI! YOU CAN'T DIE!_

I tried to scream but nothing came out. Some of the guardians tried to turn me away, protecting me as much as they could, but I broke free nonetheless. Finally, mustering up all my courage, I finally screamed.

"WAKE UP! YOU PROMISED ME SO WAKE UP!"Tears streamed down quickly. _'No, I won't end it like this. It will not end like this.'_ I shook Dimitri, but there was no reaction.

"Rose, I'm sorry," I turned to see Vladmir looking away.

"I won't let it end like this. I WILL NOT LET IT END LIKE THIS!" I screamed. Suddenly a faint rainbow glow came from me. "DIMITRI! WAKE UP!" I screamed one last time. Suddenly the energy from me started moving into Dimitri's body.

"Rose…" I transferred all my strength to him. I had to try. I had to save him. I had to tell him my answer. As I was nearing the end of my strength, nothing changed until finally I heard a beep. I looked at the monitor and suddenly a heart rate was back. Dimitri's eyes started to open.

"Roza…you saved me," I nodded to his weak response. He was completely healed and back to normal. "Roza?" My vision hazed as I tried to smile at him. I used his bed to hold me up. "Rose!" I dropped the ring onto his bed.

"…Yes…I'll marry…you…" After that, I felt myself fall backwards.

"ROZA!" He pulled me to his bed. "Roza, can you hear me?" I was panting, almost unable to breathe. Vladmir came from behind and held me. I felt his energy pulse into me.

"You did great, little one," He gave me a kiss and put me next to Dimitri in his bed as I finally blacked out.

**So! Longest chapter ever written! Hope you guys enjoyed it. I know it seems kinda bumpy for a long time but things are finally heading the way they are supposed to. Dimitri was finally saved by Rose rather than the other way around all the time. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! This took me a lot of effort to write up! THANKS!**


	18. Chapter 18: I Don't Belong Here

**So, this is chapter 18! I really hoped you guys like the last chapter and I hope you guys will enjoy this one too! Thanks to snowgoose, roseskyangel, bloodyXfangs, loventherussian17, MarianneNorthmancullen, , edward-alexander-henry-angel, SassYNoles, Do'B, sherryangel, animebooklover14, and Marylou23 for all the lovely reviews! Keep it up guys! This is the most I've gotten for one chapter so saying I was excited is an understatement. You guys rock! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot!**

**Chapter 18**

_Next morning…_

"Is she alright? Is she okay? She's alive, right?" There was a flurry of voices.

"Hey, look, she's coming to," Someone whispered. I slowly opened my eyes. Surrounding me where all the guardians and some of the students. They started clapping. Vladmir helped me sit up. When I looked around, I was still in the infirmary except I was in the bed now. Dimitri was at the foot of the bed, smiling at me. As he bowed to me, so did everyone else, including the students.

"Uh…you guys really don't have to," I told them. They came back up.

"How are you feeling?" Vladmir asked.

"I'm fine, just a bit worn out. I'm glad I have my voice back," The guardians all thanked and apologized to me before leaving. Even Vladmir left. Dimitri remained with me as he sat on my bed.

"Roza, I don't know how to thank you," He took the ring out from the box and slipped it onto my fourth finger. Then he gave me a gentle, yet passionate kiss. But what I missed most was his warm embrace. Suddenly he pushed me away and winced a bit. He was still in pain. "I'm sorry," He apologized to me. I withdrew a bit. "Don't, Roza. Do not flinch from me," He sternly ordered me. When he slowly approached me to touch my cheek, I flinched again and he frowned.

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean…" Dimitri smiled.

"It's alright. It only is fair that you're scared of me," He sounded hurt. "I hurt you so much. I wounded your heart over and over again. I'll never forgive myself for being such a coward," He admitted to me. I tried to shake my mind off of it and reached my hand out. He put his hand out still, but even then, my mind stopped my hand.

"I don't know why…I can't…" I didn't understand what was going on.

"Don't worry. We'll work on that for your lessons that we're starting up again. For now, Kirova was nice enough to revoke your status as a guardian and put you on the status of a Moroi. So you have time to relax. So Vladmir will be your mentor for your magic, and I'll be your mentor for regaining trust. That is if you can trust me anymore," He started to get up.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Well, coming back from death, kinda makes you hungry," He joked. My stomach growled. "The doctor said that you can leave anytime as long as you're feeling fine. And assuming I just heard that, I think you're fine to leave," He smiled. I got out and joined him where we headed to the cafeteria. The minute we entered, all the students stood up and bowed.

"Good morning, Princess Mazur," I stood there shocked.

"You'll get used to it," I smiled. I definitely could get used to this. I looked at Dimitri with a puppy dog face. He groaned. "Rose, that's not fair to them," He scolded me.

"But-but…please?" I pouted.

"Fine, one time only," I jumped with joy.

"Um…I'm kinda thirsty," I spoke out louder than normal. Suddenly all the guys ran to me, offering me a drink. _'SWEET!'_ Dimitri groaned, walking away covering his eyes, yet laughing at the same time. I took a Coke from a random boy and everyone surrounded him, awing at the fact a princess had just taken his drink. "THIS. IS. SO. MUCH. FUN!" Dimitri grabbed some chocolate donuts and some juice and dragged me away. "Hey, I'm a princess! Treat me with respect!" I yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, doesn't work on me," He plainly told me. I laughed.

"Whatever," We headed outside under a tree where I sat in his embrace around me.

"What do you want? I grabbed some chocolate glazed donut and some sugar donuts," I took the chocolate ones and took a bite.

"SO GOOD!" Dimitri laughed at my reaction. When I was done, I leaned against him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I think so…" I closed my eyes a bit.

"You're probably tired. Do you want to go get some sleep?" I shook my head. Suddenly, I looked and saw Vladmir coming over.

"You always come at the right time, don't you?" I smirked.

"Well, it's only because I can sense you," He replied. He hugged me and his energy transferred to me. "Since you're only one person, I can sustain you for a really, really long time," When I was energized, he got up and stole a donut.

"Hey!" I shouted.

"Payment," He waved, leaving with a chocolate donut too. Dimitri chuckled and I whacked him on the chest. He grunted in pain.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that…" He looked at me.

"Do not finish that sentence," He instructed me. I gulped down the words that tried to follow and quickly stood up looking at him, tears brimming in my eyes. "Hey, no, don't cry. Look, I already said that it's not your fault," He reminded me. I shook my head violently as tears fell. Some students saw us and came over.

"Is the princess alright?" I looked and saw Jesse and Ralf. I didn't need them right now. When I tried to run, Jesse grabbed me. He whispered something to me.

"Rose, listen to me. He's not me. He's not the one you should be afraid of. Tasha is. He's trying his best already," I looked at Jesse. He had a face of sincerity.

"I can't face him after I almost killed him," I told him before leaving.

"Roza!" Dimitri called out which made me only run faster. I was such a coward. Suddenly, I ran into someone.

"Sorry…" I mumbled.

"Princess?" It was Guardian Yuri. She quickly wrapped her arms around me as I cried.

"I know you're scared. We all know you're scared of us, especially Dimitri. Just take your time. There's no rush," She soothed me. When I stopped, Dimitri had caught up to us.

"Sorry, she just, you know-" Dimitri tried to explain.

"Belikov, be careful of the princess's heart. It's been trampled one too many times already," Yuri explained.

"I understand. Roza?" I turned back to him. "Roza, listen to me. I'm alright. I'm not completely healed but I will get better. Believe that at least," Yuri let me go and I quickly distanced myself from Dimitri a good ten feet. Yuri left us at that point to work things out on our own. Then there was a silence. "Maybe this is a good time to start our training. Let's head to the gym," Dimitri led the way, not trying to approach me anymore. I followed him, still keeping the distance. When we were at the gym, he turned off the lights. He handed me a blindfold. "Cover your eyes with this," I followed his instructions. But the minute I couldn't see anything, I started to freak out a bit. I quickly moved around the gym. "Roza, I haven't even moved an inch," Dimitri called out, causing me to flinch.

"Uh…oh…sorry," I tried to stay still. Chills kept running up and down my spine though. There was nothing, only complete silence. When I heard Dimitri take a step, I turned to his direction and darkness shot at him like lightning.

"Woah! Careful!" I tried to calm down, but my heart was pounding. The unknown seriously scared me. His footsteps got closer. "Do you trust me?" He asked in the midst of everything. I didn't answer and again he proceeded to close the gap. But as I heard his footsteps, I backed in the opposite direction.

"Roza, you need to stay still," He told me. Finally as his strides became bigger, I felt warmth radiating from his fingertips as he gently touched my cheek. I turned away. Again, he touched my cheek, and I turned in the opposite direction, almost trying to fight him off. "Shh…Roza, no one is going to hurt you. I'm not going to hurt you. Just focus on my voice," He touched my arm now and slowly moved his hand down. I shuddered and stepped forward to him. "Good…that's good, Roza," I tried to feel what was in front of me. Nothing. He suddenly took my hand and placed it to his chest. "I'm over here," But as I kept my hand on him, I saw a vision from before when I attacked him, forcing me to suddenly withdraw my hand.

"I-"

"Don't worry. We're going to take this nice and slow," He whispered. I shook my head.

"I can't. I'm going to hurt you," I whispered. As I backed away, Dimitri came after me. When I started dashing, he yanked at my wrist and pulled me back.

"No. No more running, Roza. If you're scared, face your fear. You're not like this!" He yelled, starting to get impatient. He let my wrist go and my mind shut down. "Rose, you can't be afraid forever," When Dimitri tried to approach me again, I flinched.

"Stop right there," We turned to the voice. It was Stan. Instead, I ran to him when Dimitri had hesitated for a split second.

"Hey, you're alright now," Stan turned to me. "Belikov, I know you want her trust back, but you can't force it to happen. You can't see it, but she's not afraid of you. She's afraid of herself. She knows she can't control the darkness and the minute it happens, she loses everything. That's what she's so afraid of. So, please don't force her anymore," Stan told Dimitri.

"But-" Dimitri started only to get cut off.

"But nothing. She needs time to herself, to regain her composure. Rose, Vladmir says it's time for your lesson. Meet him outside on the track," I took that as a cue to escape as I saw Vladmir on the field.

"Hi," I told him quietly. He came over and ruffled my hair.

"No need to be nervous, princess," I calmed a bit.

"You didn't come to train me, did you?" I challenged him based on what Stan said. He chuckled a bit.

"Yes and no. But get warmed up. Show me your shadow ball and the directions you can control them in now," He instructed. I quickly summoned up a shadow ball, which by now, was a piece of cake.

"Good. Now, summon a second one using the second hand by itself," I looked at him. "Go, do it," I looked at my left hand, and a second one started forming. When it was in its full size, I looked at Vladmir. "Okay, now, throw them at me. Trust me, it won't hurt me," I nodded and shot them at him forcefully. He turned as the shadow balls flew to him, but before it hit him, he held them in his hands. However, they were levitating. I was amused.

"So…" I started.

"So, this is your lesson for today; how to levitate them. You need to be able to summon more shadow balls later at the same time so the way to control them is by making them levitate up and around you," He spoke.

"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked.

"Very carefully," He joked.

"Ha, ha, very funny," I sarcastically responded.

"Well, you know how you threw the shadow balls at me? You used a pushing force, right? That's how they fly," He explained. I nodded. _'Great, physics class.'_ "Well, the way you make a shadow ball levitate is the same. Instead of having such great force, pushing it outwards, push it up for now. Just move your hand up and down once. That much force is enough to sustain it. It'll be like pushing air. You may feel a weight when you hold it, but it's actually massless," He threw it back and I created a slight pushing force to stop it in my hand. When I pushed it up a bit and when my hand came down, it was floating.

"There you go. Understand. Now the way you revolve it around you in case you need more shadow balls for whatever reason, remember how you got the shadow balls to spin? You focused your energy into revolving it, right?" I nodded. "It's the same idea. Just focus on them and they will start spinning around you once you focus on revolving it. Try it," He instructed. After a few minutes of concentrating, the spinning started.

"Roza," I quickly turned and Vladmir tackled me as the shadow balls exploded.

"I told you to never lose focus!" Vladmir yelled. When he looked at me, I was shaking. "Rose, Rose! Are you okay?" I started seeing images from when Lissa's family died in the car accident, including me.

"Roza!" Dimitri shook me before turning him to me.

"Stop!" I screamed as an outburst of darkness came from me. As my transformation started up, Dimitri covered me.

"Roza! Rose! Listen to me, you're not there! You're here! Look at me!" He yelled, voice now filled with his Russian accent.

"No…" I quickly backed away as my transformation completed itself. I was back into a wolf.

"Rose, listen to me. You have to calm down!" Vladmir yelled from his point of view. I shook my head violently, trying to shake the images, but it kept playing like a broken record at this point.

"Roza!" I growled at Dimitri now.

_Get away from me!_

"No. I will not! I told you I would be here for you! Well now, I'm here and I will stay here until I succeed in reverting you back whether you like it or not," He yelled. I swung my paw out at him and he jumped back this time.

"Rose!" I turned to the new voice and saw Lissa. Out of fury and anger and confusion, I dashed towards her, full intent on somehow showing her my feelings. Dimitri tackled Lissa, and coaxing her to run. "Guardian Belikov, I need to help her!" Lissa screamed.

"Your help was needed months ago! If you wanted to help her, help her then, not now!" Dimitri snapped at Lissa. She looked horrified.

"Rose, I'm sorry! Forgive me!" She screamed. I roared at her. "Aren't we best friends?" I snarled at her.

_We were friends when I had to run around saving you at every moment of your life. We stopped being friends the minute you decided not to save me and go on with your merry little life, pretending as if nothing ever happened!_

Vladmir finally convinced Lissa that her part in this was over. "Rose, that's enough. Calm down now," Vladmir spoke soothingly. I growled, but gave a loud roar. All the guardians came out.

"Rose! Calm down!" They all yelled. I kept growling. When I felt Dimitri's touch on me, I hit his hand away, scratching him in the arm. _'Why do I keep doing that?'_ Dimitri quickly shielded his arm from my vision.

"Rose! I'm fine! It's just a scratch. Nothing more," I shook my head again. Suddenly, before I knew it, all the guardians surrounded me. However, they weren't attacking me. They were all petting me, stroking me, telling me to calm down and that everything was alright. "Roza, they're all here to help you, not hurt you," Tears fell from my face.

"Guardian Belikov's right. There's nothing to be afraid of," I saw my mom come over too, stroking my face and ears now and then. I snarled at her, but she gave me a heartwarming smile.

"Rose, it's alright to be scared. But every time you feel unsafe, you can be sure that one of us here will catch you when you fall. So don't worry about hurting any of us. We're all adults and we're all strong. You're still a child. So you still have time to learn," I looked at Dimitri and Vladmir when another few tears fell. I laid down onto the grass, then collapsing to the side, sobbing, even in my wolf form. All the guardians kept stroking me until I calmed down, still telling me to calm down and not worry. I smelled the stench of blood on me and that's when I was alert again. The blood was on me, but it wasn't my blood. I noticed it was Dimitri. It was coming from his arm. I growled again.

"You guys may go now, I'll take it from here," Dimitri spoke to them. Everyone cautiously backed away and looked at me sadly before leaving. Some of them even waved before leaving. "Rose, can you hear me?" I looked Dimitri in the eye.

_Leave. Go to the infirmary and get it healed._

I growled softly to Dimitri. "Then I won't go until you're coming with me," He said firmly.

_Go by yourself. I'm not going._

"Then I'm not going either. Two can play at this game," Dimitri spoke. I roared at him. He didn't flinch. I pushed him away with my paws and my claws ripped his shirt. When I saw the bandages with blood, I quickly backed away.

_You're not better yet…_

Dimitri tried to cover it up. "Rose, believe me. I'm alright," Vladmir tried to approach me, but I used darkness to push him away, launching him back a few feet.

_I'm sorry…_

Dimitri looked at me sadly. "Rose, don't," He could tell what I was thinking.

_I have to go._

Like a coward, I turned tail and ran, trying to escape from the school. This was who I was. I was a monster. With four legs now, I could run faster and before I knew it, I had run into the city in the dead of night. When I looked around, I noticed that I was in Missoula. I remembered that there was a park there so I stayed there as it started raining. However, instead of taking cover, I decided to sleep out in the rain.

"Mommy, look, doggy!" A little boy ran to me and I raised my head for him to touch. The mother screamed and pulled him away. "No!" The boy struggled to reach me. I knew it wasn't a good idea to interact with humans, but I wanted to see something. I bit gently on the boy's shirt, making sure not to hurt him and bringing him close. I licked him and hugged him.

"Let go of my baby!" The mother screamed. The boy reassured his mother.

"Mama?"

"Y-yes?" The mother was freaked out, obviously.

"She's hurt," The mother looked at me strangely.

"Baby, you sure?" The boy looked no more than five or six years of age. He nodded.

"She's sad. Very sad," He told her. The mother, now calm, kneeled to me.

"Are you okay?" She petted me. I laid my head in her lap. "You're shaking," She smiled gently at me. "Come with us," The boy cheered as his mother said the reassuring words to me. This would be a nice change of pace. It was somewhere I could relax for real, for at least a little bit. I nodded and stood up. Grabbing the boy again, I flung him into the air a bit where he landed on my back. I started following the mother home. When we got to their house, not far from the park, I wiped my feet before heading indoors. "You must be trained if you're this polite and tame," She spoke from the kitchen. I sneezed suddenly. "Oh dear, let's get you dry and warmed up," The mother went to light a fire and take some towels to dry me. "You have purple fur," She sounded surprised. I nodded. She kept drying me anyways. When she was done for the most part, she left the towel on me.

"I'll get a bed for you. It's getting late," She headed upstairs where I then saw the boy run downstairs.

"Doggy okay?" He petted my head a bit. I nodded and he smiled. "Good!" He reminded me so much of myself when I was little; when kids were still oblivious to danger and not afraid of anything.

"Sweetie, time for bed!" The mother called from upstairs. I brought the boy upstairs.

"You can sleep next to him," I saw a bed made for me. True it wasn't a real bed, but right about now, anything would look good. The boy climbed into bed. The mother suddenly looked at me. "I have some things to take care of in the kitchen. Can you turn the light off when you're ready?" I nodded. The minute she left, I turned the lights off and fell asleep in my new environment.

**Well, isn't that new. Rose has escaped from the academy again. Don't worry, in the next chapter Dimitri will find Rose…somehow. That's the hint for the next chapter for all you Dimitri lovers. **

**As for the previous chapter, the reason Dimitri "flat-lined" was because Rose had clawed him earlier causing him to lose a severe amount of blood. And at some point, Tasha will come back to get her "just desserts" so don't worry, Tasha haters! She will have what she deserves later in the story. And to also clear up anything else, Tasha is a Strigoi now! **

**I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter and review a lot!**


	19. Chapter 19: And History Repeats Itself

**So, I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. There will be some twists and turns so look forward to those to keep this story interesting. Here's chapter 19! Thanks to MarianneNorthmanCullen, Twilighternproud, bloodyXfangs, roseskyangel, animebooklover14, , Sherryangel, loventherussian17, , and Do'B for all the reviews! Keep it up! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or this plot.**

**Chapter 19**

_Next morning… (Human time)_

"Baby, it's time to wake up," I heard a female voice, causing me to stir a bit. I sat up, still in my wolf form. I looked at the clock. '_It's 8 in the morning…'_ "Baby, it's time for school," _'Ah, so that's why.'_ The child slowly woke.

"Good morning, mommy," The boy started to wake. "Good morning, doggy," I barked at him and licked his cheek, nudging him to get ready. The boy scurried to the bathroom to get ready.

"Damien sure is happy to see you," His mother said. I followed her downstairs. _'Mm…bacon…'_ She nicely put some on a plate after cooking them and put it down for me. I quickly ate it as Damien came downstairs. "Breakfast is on the table, Damien," Damien ran to the table and started eating. "So, are you excited for school?" Damien nodded while eating. It didn't take long. I barked at him, heading to the door.

_I'll take him to school._

The mother looked surprised for a second. "Why am I surprised? You have purple fur as is," She smiled. When we headed out the door, I tossed the kid up and onto my back.

_Lead the way!_

While I ran, he pointed different directions so I followed his instructions until we headed to the school where the kids looked shocked as hell. "D-damien…t-that's a…" I barked and they flinched. I was laughing silently.

"Yep! She's my new pet!" I nuzzled him a bit, before pushing him a bit towards the school. He waved back at me and I tried to wave back. I headed back to the house which I realized wasn't too far. As I was walking, I ran into a person. I quickly looked up.

"Roza…" I looked back at the school. "Do not tell me you broke the most sacred law of our kind," I looked away.

_And what if I did?_

I knew that was a bad answer, but I had to by myself time. Dimitri motioned for the guardians to enter the school. I jumped in front of them and growled menacingly.

_You will not touch him. I won't allow it._

"It's not whether you allow it or not, Roza. It's whether that child will reveal us," Dimitri was trying to reason with me.

_If you advance, I will attack. You know I can._

"Rose, please don't stop him," I looked at whoever said it. This time my mother was standing in the way. That finally did it. I ran into the school, barking loudly. When I ran into a classroom, I saw Damien. He looked terrified. In the room were two guardians. The whole class seemed frozen at what was going on.

_Damien, climb on!_

Damien was smart enough to know what to do.

_Do you trust me?_

He nodded. I raised some barriers up using the darkness. Then, I ran for the window and jumped out.

"Rose!" I ran past Dimitri with Damien on my back. I had broken the rule to never allow humans to know about the vampire world. I ran Damien back to his house. Barking at the door, his mother opened came quickly.

_I have to go. I'm sorry for the trouble I'm going to be causing you._

I apologized to her in advance. "What's going on?" She asked me. I looked behind me and saw a full group of guardians in pursuit. I stood in front of the doorway, putting my powers to maximum. My fur flared and wings had formed in my wolf form.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we need your son," Damien's mother stood before him defensively.

_Damien, whatever your mother tells you, do it, alright?_

I looked back for a brief moment to see him nod. I charged at the guardians, tackling them, while using darkness to keep a protective barrier around Damien and his mother. That also meant that I couldn't move too far away which didn't give me enough room to fight all of them.

"Rose, we're not here to hurt you!" The guardians yelled.

_But you're here to hurt Damien and his mother._

"Mama…" Damien started to cry. His mother picked him up.

"Rose, stop," I looked to see Vladmir appear.

"Vladmir?" Damien's mother asked. I looked back. _'What did she just say?'_

"Wait, you know him?" I asked Damien's mother.

"Anna…" Vladmir looked at her. _'WHAT?'_ I swore my jaw dropped then and there. "Anna, why are you back here? I told you not to follow me," Vladmir seemed to be scolding her.

"Because you didn't tell me why you left! You just said, "I have something to do," then disappeared," She complained. Vladmir looked at Damien.

"Papa!" Damien ran to Vladmir and hugged him. "Welcome home, papa!" Vladmir kissed Damien on the cheek.

"Thank you," Vladmir smiled at him. "Papa has to work now. Stay home with mommy, alright?" I looked at Damien, then ran off.

"Rose!" Dimitri pursued after me, full force. I stopped when he called me, but growled at him.

_Is it so hard to leave me alone?_

"Then give me a reason why you're so afraid of me!" He yelled finally. I suddenly transformed back to normal.

"Because I can't hurt you anymore!" He grabbed my wrist.

"You're hurting me more by leaving!" He yelled back. I flinched when the guardians caught up. "If you leave, I will hunt you down and drag you back to the school whether you like it or not because even though I love you, I still am a teacher at the academy," He lectured me. I cringed at what he said and regained my wrist from Dimitri's grip. Tears streamed down my face.

"Dimitri, you shouldn't have said that," Stan came out from the back.

"What? Why?" Dimitri was totally clueless at how much that hurt.

"You've officially hurt her more than she's hurt you," Stan stated.

"What? How?" I slapped Dimitri now, hard. "The hell is wrong with you?" He asked, confused.

"You told her you care more about your job than her," Vladmir spoke up. Dimitri turned back to me.

"Roza, I didn't mean-" I glared at him and said the most hated phrase to him.

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" I ran off in the opposite direction. _'That was too cruel…'_ I ran to the playground where I first met Damien. There, I cried behind a tree.

"Rose…?" I peeked out to see Stan looking for me. "Rose? Come out, he's not with me," I came out and Stan ran to hug me. "Hey, there you are. I was looking all over for you," He cooed to me. I pushed him away.

"Don't touch me," I growled.

"Fine, I'll back up," Stan put his hands up, showing his surrender. He didn't speak. He simply watched my behavior. Dimitri came soon enough. I threw a shadow ball at him. He dodged it so I threw a second one. Again, it missed.

"Roza…I didn't mean what I said. I was just angry," Dimitri yelled. I stopped. My powers increased until I had transformed back to a wolf. I barked, snarled, and growled at Dimitri. He just gave me a sad look. This was his problem so I felt no regret to attack him. When I charged, Dimitri just stood there. Just as I hit Dimitri, Vladmir transported himself in front of Dimitri, taking the blow of my tackle.

_What are you doing?_

I growled at Vladmir. "I'm doing what you're afraid to do. Rather than constantly use the power for attacking others, protect them for once. The reason you're running away is because you're scared to hurt Dimitri. You think you're doing this to protect him. Doesn't that sound like someone you know?" Vladmir scolded me harshly. _'What the hell is he talking about? I don't know anyone like that!'_ I glared at Vladmir. "Doesn't that sound like Dimitri the first time he tried to leave you?" He finally slapped the truth in front of me. I was shocked. When the thought ran through my mind, I stopped. He was right. Right now, I was no better than when Dimitri tried to leave me. I was the coward I hated. I backed off now, tail between my legs for once. I cringed at the thought. I was being a hypocrite. "Grow up already!" Vladmir finally yelled once more and I fled back to Anna and Damien.

"Rose!" I ran back into the house and into Damien's room, slamming the door shut while I cried. _'Vladmir's right. I'm no better than Dimitri…'_ I howled and finally transformed back to my dhampir self where I slid against the door, sobbing. When I quieted down, I heard talking downstairs.

"Honey, what's going on? Why did she come back in tears? What did you say to her?" That was Anna.

"Nothing you need to worry about. I said nothing, but what was needed for her to hear. Damien…is Damien alright?" Vladmir asked.

"Damien's fine. He's playing with some of the guardians in the back yard. Look, it's lunch time already, I'll make something for all of you guys. Where's Dimitri?" Anna replied.

"He's outside thinking. Lord, they have too many problems," Vladmir complained. I then heard Anna's voice again.

"We had a decent amount of problems ourselves," After that, there was silence. I laid on the floor to just thinking afterwards. After what seemed to be about fifteen minutes, there was a knock on the door.

"Rose? It's me," It was Anna. "I made some lunch for you. I'll just leave it at the door, alright?" I heard the tray being placed down as she left. Then, there was the sound of a door closing downstairs. That was probably Dimitri.

"Where is she?" I heard the same Russian voice distinguishing the fact it was Dimitri.

"She's upstairs in Damien's room. Be calm with her, she was crying in there," Anna's voice was kind and soft. There was no reply, but there was the sound of footsteps from the stairs. Dimitri was coming upstairs. Scared as hell, I hid under Damien's bed. _'God, I feel stupid.'_ The door creaked open and I made sure to be careful of the sound of my breathing.

"Roza? Sweetheart? Are you in here?" His voice seemed calm, no longer agitated, no longer angry. I didn't come out yet. I felt him sit on Damien's bed. "Roza, I'm not going to look for you, because it'll only add agitation to you. So just hear me out. What I said before, I was getting angry and frustrated so I lashed out on you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Roza, you know I love you. I still do. We've had our moments and you know that. But no matter what, I'll always be on your side whether you know it or not. I have my faults and I know what they are, but you're special. Somehow, I can risk so much for you and not regret it at all despite the outcome. I never regretted being with you for even one moment. Believe me on at least that much. I know you're scared to hurt me. I don't blame you either. I know it'll take time to regain your trust, but things have to work themselves out step by step. Running away doesn't do any good, and neither does it do any good when I run away. I know it may be really late to say this, but please forgive me. And if you haven't thrown the ring away yet, I'd still like to ask for your hand in marriage," Then he stopped. I looked at my ring and took it off. Signaling to him I was under the bed, I sent it out from underneath him. Without a second though, he lifted the covers to reveal me from underneath the bed. "Oh my god, Rose…" He pulled me out and held me. I heard him hum to me a soft melody. Somehow it sedated my anger and fear that I've contained for the last day or so. I calmed down and we were left alone in a nice position. I had my head on his lap as he stroked my hair a bit. "Come on, let's go downstairs," He suggested. I shook my head.

"Not like this," I referred to my eyes that were a bit red and puffy from all the crying.

"I can fix that. Can you sit up for a bit?" I sat up slowly. Dimitri helped me up. When I sat up, he headed to the bathroom, quickly coming back with a towel that has been soaked. "Lay down on the bed, eyes closed," He instructed. I did as told. "This'll be a bit cold, but bear with it for a while," He placed the towel over my eyes, causing me to shudder. The towel had been soaked with cold water. Dimitri held my hand. "Just bear with it," When I adjusted to it, he waited a bit longer before taking the towel off. Then he left again and came back. "This should feel better," He now placed a warm towel. It was warm and comfortable. I relaxed a bit and he waited as usual. After a few minutes, he took the towel off. "There. No more swelling," I thanked him, but something felt wrong. Something haunted me and a chill crept up my spine, but I didn't let Dimitri know. "You okay?" I nodded

"Yeah, I'm fine. You can head down first," I told him.

"And give you another chance to run? Not a chance," He stated boldly. I laughed a bit.

"No. That was my nice way of saying 'I need to change. Get out,'" When I looked at Dimitri's face, it turned red and he left quickly, closing the door.

"Uh…I'll, uh…wait here then," I quickly used magic to create a dress. I was totally taking advantage of this whole magic thing, but hell, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I walked to the door though, not heading out just yet. I wanted to try something.

"Dimitri?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry that I've caused you so much trouble…I'm sorry," I head Dimitri rattling the door knob. I think he thought I was going to leave again.

"Don't do anything stupid!" He rattled it harder.

"Dimitri, do you believe everything is done for a reason?" Finally I stepped aside to the window as he broke the door down. When he saw me in a purple dress, he freaked. Running to the window to guard it, he yelled at me.

"I won't let you leave! Don't you dare leave!" He yelled.

"Then where do I go from here?" I argued back.

"Home, with me. I'll let you do what you want. Party, get drunk, whatever, I don't care. I'll buy anything for you. Just ask. If you want my attention, you have it. If you want anything, my love, my stake, my hugs, kisses, whatever, I'll give them all without hesitation. Just, Roza, I bet you. Do not leave me again!" By this time, Vladmir and Anna ran up to see what the commotion was about.

"Rose, change back," Vladmir ordered in a strict voice. I had no choice but to change my clothing to something normal. But before I completely changed back, I got the same nauseous feeling and looked at the window. Dimitri tried to cover it, but I saw a Strigoi spying with binoculars out back. I transformed into a wolf in a split second and jumped out the window, past Dimitri.

"Rose!" Dimitri yelled. I dove for the Strigoi, catching him off guard. I bit his neck, snapped it, and slammed him into a tree.

"Get Damien and Anna, we're all going to the academy!" I yelled. Vladmir ran to retrieve his family while all the guardians met up out front, starting to head back to their vans. I sat with Dimitri and Nathan and Stan while Alberta was driving. Vladmir, Damien, and Anna were in the second van. "If those were random Strigoi, we're still okay then. But if those were from Tasha, we're going to have some problems when we get back," I was worrying at this point. I had left for a couple of days, and I think that time was the perfect opportunity for Tasha to attack the school. We drove as quickly as we could, of course without getting caught by the police. When Dimitri turned and saw my worried face, he held me, hiding my face in his chest.

"Don't worry. This isn't your fault at all. Don't blame yourself," He comforted me.

"It is my fault. If I didn't run away, none of this would've happened," I retorted. Within a few minutes, at top speed, we arrived at the Academy.

"Oh, no," Dimitri whispered, trying to make it inaudible for me, but I turned and the view horrified me. Broken windows were everywhere; there was fire on some parts. Blood was everywhere on the ground too. My breathing hitched and Dimitri covered my eyes.

"Don't look," He advised me. Finally, I screamed.

**So, how was that for a cliffhanger? Anyways, sorry for the long wait. This isn't one of my best chapters, but it'll get better from here. I figured that there's been too much romance and not enough action, so I thought this would be also a perfect chance for Rose to use her powers for good instead of bad. Anyways, review. You guys are the best! Again, sorry for the long wait!**


	20. Chapter 20: The Blame Game

**So it seems that a lot of you guys liked chapter 19. Thanks to , bloodyxfangs, .Hathaway, animebooklover14, roseskyangel, loventherussian17, Dimitris-number-1, olivia williams, Do'B, Twilighternproud, sherryangel, and MarianneNorthmanCullen for all the reviews! You guys are the best. Keep reviewing! Thanks so much for all the support so far!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the plot.**

**Chapter 20**

I screamed. That was the only thing I could do was scream. I covered my nose and mouth as tears streamed down quickly. Dimitri grabbed me from behind, but I knew it was too late. I had already seen enough to scare me for the rest of my life. There was so much blood, so many dead bodies, so many students dead with terrified faces all over them.

"Don't look," Dimitri whispered. I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"Blood…there's so much…and…"I finally pushed myself away from Dimitri, trying to find the first body I see. Quickly, I tried to heal him, but nothing happened. He had been dead for too long and I knew that. But something kept telling me to keep going.

"Rose, it doesn't work like that," Vladmir tried to tell me.

"No…no…I have to try. I have to try and save them!" I put as much darkness as I could into the body, but still no reaction came from it.

"Rose, don't make me order you to stop," Vladmir warned. I turned to him, infuriated.

"Since when did I answer to you?" I yelled at him. He slapped me, hard. My hands shook. "They didn't deserve this! I helped cause this! This is my fault!" I ran deeper into the bloody battlefield, but tripped right after the first step. My legs went numb as I realized my fear from the car accident years ago, still haunted me.

"Rose!" Dimitri came after me, but from my anger, a wall of blue fire separated me from the guardians.

"Damn it!" I couldn't heal the boy. _'I'm too weak. I'm too late. Why me?'_ I hit the ground hard, crying over the student's body.

"Rose…" I heard Dimitri come closer.

"Don't come near me!" I yelled back. His steps stopped. He flinched for a moment. But after a few seconds, I heard him step back and suddenly charge into the wall. When I looked, he ran past it unharmed.

"It's an illusion…" He referred to the fire I created. I retreated from him, closer to the dead students. He knelt down. "I told you that I wouldn't ever leave you alone. Not now, not ever," He told me. My energy drained from my arms as I couldn't take much more from the tragic scene. My arms gave out and I fell onto the grass. Dimitri caught me before my head fell to the ground. The last thing I saw was when he laid me down gently onto the grass, tears trickling from his face too.

_Few hours later…_

"Look, she's coming around," I slowly opened my eyes to see a bunch of guardians around me. When I remembered what had happened, Dimitri quickly grabbed a hold of me as I cried.

"I know sweetheart, I know," He told me. I didn't understand anything. Did Tasha do this? Was this all her planning? Is that what she wanted from me? I caused this. Because I ran, all the guardians followed me. I was the perfect distraction. "Shh…I know you're scared. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you. The other guardians are here too," Dimitri whispered to me. That was the problem. They were here. There weren't at the academy where they were supposed to be because of me. Dimitri tried to calm me down, but there was no stopping the emotions from the scene that I took in. "Shh…everything's alright. We found out where most of the survivors are. There's at St. Basil's Academy in Russia," Dimitri told me. I looked up at him. "Lissa, Christian, Mia, Eddie, and Adrian are there with some of the other students. Kirova, and some other guardians and even the doctor are there," He wiped my tears as he told me. I swallowed hard and tried to speak.

"A-anyone e-else?" I asked, scared to find the answer. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry," He spoke solemnly.

"What about Ralf? What about Jesse?" He looked surprised that I would ask about them.

"They're fine. Ralf is healing since he was injured. Jesse…apparently is in critical condition. He got mauled by a Strigoi during the fight," Dimitri brought my close to him as the other guardians tried to stroke my hair, anything to stop my emotional train wreck. "The truth is though, that everyone else died. But Rose, listen to me. This isn't your fault. You didn't cause this," He told me. "Promise me on the ring that you will not blame yourself, alright?" He asked. I nodded a little. "Good," He wiped the remaining tears. "We're in Spokane at the moment, but all of us got tickets to Russia for tomorrow," He continued the conversation with himself, trying to make something come out from me. I didn't speak though. When I tried to stand up, my legs were still shaking. I had regained feeling in them, but I didn't have the strength to support myself. I knew Dimitri had noticed and before I knew it, he swept me off my feet so he was carrying me. "I'll carry you. Just take it easy," We seemed to be in a hotel so Dimitri brought me to a bathroom to lower the swelling in my eyes once again. Guardian Yuri came to help too. After a bit, Dimitri smiled at me. "There, good as new," He was trying to hide his feelings behind his "guardian mask" trick, but it was not fooling me. He placed me back on the bed as I sat there with almost no energy whatsoever. That image burned into my mind as a guilty feeling burdened my heart. As I looked around to the other guardians, they all tried to smile. But, not one of us spoke a word. I knew what they were thinking, but the fact they tried to all hide it all was despicable. It gave no respect to the students. When I stood up quickly, Dimitri gave me a strange look. He was still trying to hide it.

"Let this be a lesson to you all," I drew the attention onto myself. I slapped Dimitri hard. He gave me different look. He was shocked and caught off guard. Dimitri didn't respond though. He knew what I was thinking. "You guys are so, so despicable for trying to hold in your feelings. It's so disgusting and disrespectful to the dead students and none of you guys look like you care," I stormed out of the hotel room. As I walked down the hallway to the main elevators, my temper was fuming. So, I had another plan. I wasn't going to run away, but go take a walk instead to cool my head a bit. The cold air blew my hair a bit and I started walking down the street. There were so many humans outside; it was night time, day for vampires. All of the couples snuggled up in cafés and different stores. If only they knew what kind of world the vampire world was. As I kept walking, I saw a jewelry store. To be honest, I knew this wasn't the right time to go shopping, but Dimitri's birthday was coming up and I had to get him something. He didn't deserve to be slapped like that, but I knew he was the only one who would allow me to do such an action. I walked into the store and the workers there welcomed me. I went over to the men's section and saw a bunch of watches, all from different made companies. If it served me correctly, my credit card should be connected to my dad's bank account so I should be able to use it. I found a Rolex watch. It was silver, but inside, it was gold. No words could describe the beauty of it.

"May I help you?" A lady came over to check what I was looking at.

"Ah, yes. I would like to purchase this watch," I pointed to it. She nodded. "Ah, and please wrap it nicely. It's for my boyfriend," She smiled, nodding understandingly. When we headed to the cashier, she totaled the price of it.

"That'll be $7,800," I handed her my credit card and left the store after purchasing it. As I kept walking to find an open bakery, eventually, I was able to find a Coldstone Creamery. It wouldn't be a legitimate cake, but an ice cream cake was close enough. I decided to get a cookies and cream ice cream cake. The cake itself was vanilla. Even though I liked chocolate, Dimitri liked vanilla so I had to purchase it for his taste. When I purchased it too, I started to head back to the hotel. Soon, I headed back to Dimitri's room. Apparently the rooms were divided by pairs. I ended up pairing with Dimitri, but that's only right. I took the room key and swiped it. When I entered, all the guardians were still inside. I placed down the box with the watch and then the cake. I quickly bowed to them.

"I'm so sorry for my earlier behavior. I was overreacting and I shouldn't have done that no matter what," Dimitri smiled and hugged me.

"We're sorry too. We didn't mean to upset you earlier," He gave me a kiss on my cheek. "I love you, Roza," I finally smiled after a long day.

"I love you too, Comrade," He kissed my cheek again, moving down to my neck. All the guardians smiled sincerely at us. When he released me, I went to the present I bought for Dimitri. "Here," I presented it to him, smiling.

"And what is this?" He opened the box. When he saw the watch, he gave me the biggest smile ever. He quickly picked me up and spun around with me in the air. "I love you so much," He then gave me a giant hug.

"I know," I kissed him on his lips. "Happy Birthday, Dimitri!" When he put me down, I brought the cake over too. "Hey, everyone! I have cake!" They all came over. Some took drinks from the refrigerator and some called room service for plates and what not. I sat on the bed as they all celebrated. Trust me, I knew this was the wrong time to party, but they didn't deserve what I did to Dimitri. I smiled at them when they looked back at me. When they all were taking to Dimitri, I laid down on the bed to relax.

"Hey, you feeling alright?" Dimitri came to me with a slice of cake. I nodded. He felt my forehead to make sure. "You don't have a fever. Why don't you take it easy?" I nodded sleepily. He gave me a bite of the cake before heading back to the party. After what seemed like a few hours, the party died down, and everyone went back to their respective rooms leaving only me and Dimitri. I looked at him and smiled.

"So did you have fun for your birthday?" He dimmed the lights.

"Not enough. I know we haven't had some private time and we have some now before tomorrow. So…" He slowly took off his shirt and climbed onto the bed on top of me. I touched his chest, eliciting a groan from him. He kissed me over and over and before starting to take off my shirt off. Before I knew it, he made love to me that night. Because we hadn't done it for a while, it felt so unbelievable.

"This was the perfect birthday, Roza. Thank you," I nodded tiredly before falling asleep again. I felt him kiss me one last time before he too, fell asleep with me.

_Next morning... (human time)_

"Roza, dear Roza, it's time to wake," I groaned. I hated waking up. Worst part of the day ever. I turned to Dimitri and he helped me up. I winced in pain a bit from last night. "Sorry…" I kissed him.

"Nothing to worry about," I quickly got dressed and got ready as Dimitri was getting dressed too. Then I felt him looking at me. When I looked back, he had a worried expression.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"No. I'm not alright. I'm not alright at all. But what else can I do?" I headed to the bathroom and washed up.

"No, wait," He pulled on my wrist. When I looked at me, he gave me a deep stare.

"Dimitri…let go," I gave him a sad look. I had been traumatized by that scene, no doubt about that. All I could do was try and continue to live my life. While washing my face, I looked at the mirror. Nothing about me was normal anymore. I had lost that a long time ago. Now, the school was attacked and destroyed and I did nothing but run away time and again. When the pictures of the dead students came into my mind, I quickly put my head under the hard stream of cold water coming from the sink. Then, I just let myself cry. I hated living like this, living in fear. But after what I saw, I couldn't pretend nothing happened. After what seemed like a while, I came out and saw Dimitri all dressed and ready. He had a stern look on his face and it was beyond easy to see what he was thinking. He was trying to let me know that he thought this was his fault, that I'm suffering so much like this. When he looked back at me, I motioned for the door. "Come on. Everyone's probably waiting downstairs," I headed out without him. The tension was making it so awkward, but it was something that we would have to let pass on its own.

"Good morning, Princess Mazur!" The guardians bowed to me. _'Oh, that's right. I'm still a princess to them.'_ I bowed slightly. _'Well, this was indeed awkward.'_ I sat down on a couch in the lobby as the guardians discussed what we were going to be doing. Now and then, Dimitri gave me glances. He was worrying I would snap any moment. Then when the guardians were discussing, I saw Dimitri pull Nathan and Stan aside.

"Don't you dare!" I yelled at Dimitri from afar. My voice rang throughout the lobby, startling even Dimitri.

"What's going on?" Stan asked Dimitri, looking at me at the same time.

"Nothing, leave it alone, Guardian Alto," I never have ever called him that, so saying it now meant I meant what I said.

"Dimitri, maybe now is not the time for what you want to say," Dimitri now looked past concerned. I wasn't going to snap or break at any moment. What was he so worried about? Dimitri walked back to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead before rejoining the other guardians. I picked up my cell phone and looked at it. There weren't any missed calls or texts which worried me. Suddenly one text message came up.

_Are you okay? And please don't lie to me. I can see right through you. ~D_

I looked at Dimitri. He didn't even look back. Was he trying to antagonize me? What would he get out of it had I snapped and lost it? Anna had gotten ready as well as Damien. Damien ran over to me as I picked him up.

"Rosy, are you okay?" He asked in that cute little voice of his. I hugged him tight and didn't say anything. "Rosy, please don't cry," He told me.

"I won't…" I whispered. Damien was lucky. He was still young enough to the point he couldn't understand death. It wasn't a concept he would understand for a while and I was relieved at some point.

"Okay, we've gotten everything planned out. We're heading to the airport now," I followed quietly behind them. Dimitri slowed his pace and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight. I saw Dimitri texting and when he was done, my phone buzzed.

_Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay. I promise. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you. ~D_

I didn't say anything as we piled into the vans. Dimitri still sat next to me. I guess I was the cause of his overprotectiveness. I leaned onto his shoulder and he quickly sunk a bit so I could rest. That somehow made him calm a bit. For the entire car trip, we stayed like that. Within a few minutes, we reached the airport. We didn't exactly have luggage so it made things easy since we didn't have anything to check in. Though I do have to admit, it was strange to the security men that there was a group of people all coming in with no luggage. When we got to our gate, we all showed our tickets and boarded. Dimitri and I apparently had first class tickets as well as Stan, Nathan, Vladmir and his family. Everyone else, was in the second class. The minute we got on board, Dimitri laid out the bed for me and got me to sleep as the plane flew. He kept stroking my arm as he realized I was tense for quite a bit of time. During the meal times, he woke me up or if a flight attendant came by to ask if anyone need refreshments. According to Dimitri, I was so out of it that he ordered for me. It was interesting to me seeing how I was so exhausted. Had the thoughts about the bloody mess really be holding me back this much? When food came, you'd figure I'd be the first to attack the food. Instead, I had to actually wake up myself before I realized there was even food. I was able to talk to Dimitri though which was nice.

"How are you feeling? You've been knocked out for most of the flight," Dimitri stated.

"No, duh. I don't know. I just feel kinda funny. I'm really tired for the most part," I told him.

"You've had a stressful few days especially with everything going on. Just take it easy," He spoke calmly.

"You don't' think I would be…uh…pregnant, would you?" I shot out that suggestion. He quickly looked at me.

"I don't think so. I mean, we're pretty good about keeping things safe," He gave me a quick kiss. "Finish your lunch and go back to sleep," He coaxed me to finish eating so I did.

"Hypothetically speaking, what would your reaction be if I was really pregnant?" I asked him for curiosity purposes.

"I'd love you just the same. I don't want to have a baby if it's not ours," He gave me a kiss before I fell asleep again.

**So! I hope you really enjoyed this chapter. Hint: The thing with Rose's possible pregnancy is up to you guys. Review and tell me if you want Rose to have a baby or not. I'll keep the result to myself and you guys can find out when you guys read along. Thanks!**


	21. Chapter 21: Tragedy's Confusion!

**So here's chapter 21! Thanks to ClaireJ731, olivia williams, Annabellahays, roseskyangel, loventherussian17, , lastsacrifice, bloodyxfangs, and Sa5mGuy for the reviews! You guys are great! Keep it up! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 21**

_In Russia…_

"Rose, time to wake up," I felt Dimitri shake me a bit. I got up drowsily as everyone was leaving. All the guardians picked up their stuff and headed off the plane too. It was the afternoon in Russia so my internal clock was out of whack now. I swayed and bit and Dimitri looked at me, worried.

"How about we rest a bit before heading over? She doesn't look too well," Dimitri had me lay down on some chairs.

"Hey, are you okay?" He felt my forehead a bit.

"How is she?" Some other guardian asked.

"She's a bit warm. I think she must've not been feeling too well before we got onto the plane. We'll rest a bit before heading to the school," Dimitri rubbed my back a bit while I tried to relax some. Vladmir walked over.

"Rose, when was your last blood feed?" I didn't want to answer. "Rose?"

"Few weeks ago? A month maybe?" I spoke quietly.

"Rose! You're supposed to drink at least a pint of blood per week if not more than that," I turned away from him.

"Roza? Is this true?" Dimitri asked. I coughed a bit.

"She'll be fine when she gets some blood into her system. Dimitri, can you?" Dimitri moved the collar of his shirt a bit. I leaned into his neck, but I didn't even have the strength to move my body.

"Rose, you need to drink his blood," I finally punctured my fangs into his neck and just hoped for the blood to spill because I couldn't even suck it up. When the blood dripped, I slowly licked it. After fifteen minutes of me drinking Dimitri's blood, I stopped and laid down on Dimitri's lap to rest.

"She should be okay now, right?" Dimitri asked.

"Yeah, just wait for a bit," Vladmir spoke. Few minutes later, the blood kicked in and I felt energy entering my system so I sat up.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked again. I nodded this time and stood up.

"I'm fine now," Dimitri kept an arm around me to stabilize me while we walked. All the guardians, now rested up and stretched, exited the airport. There, two vans waited for us. The two guardians came out from the van to greet us. Sadly, I understood nothing. _'Well, that's what I get for failing Russian…'_ I sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Dimitri asked. I shook my head.

"Haha, it's nothing. I just don't understand what they said," I admitted.

"Didn't you take Russian? Oh wait…" He paused. He, too, came to the same conclusion that I thought of earlier. He nuzzled me a bit. "No worries, I'll play translator for you. For now, they just said welcome to Russia," The guardians bowed to me.

"Princess Mazur," They greeted me. Startled, I backed away a bit.

"Oh, there is no reason to be scared. We're all guardians, no?" One of the guardians spoke to me. When he approached me, I backed even further, now behind Dimitri.

"Belikov, your student is quite timid," Dimitri stood in front of me.

"No, she's just been traumatized so things are just getting around to her. Give her some time. Now is not the time though," Dimitri spoke to him. The guardian tried to get closer. "I said not now, Ivan," The guardian bowed and apologized before re-entering the vans. We all got in and they drove us to the campus. Ironically, you'd figure the U.S. has more money, yet the campus here couldn't be compared. When we got out of the car, Lissa came to hug me.

"I missed you so much," She cried. Now I was the one soothing her. As I looked behind her, everyone was there so I ran to them as we had a group hug.

"I am so proud of you guys," I told them. They all smiled.

"Well, we didn't go down without a fight, just like the Rosemarie Hathaway method," Christian spoke up. I hugged him.

"I missed you, fire boy," He hugged me back and it was one of those touchy feely moments. Kirova and Alberta came out to greet me too as well as the other guardians, obviously happy that they survived. I bowed to Kirova and Alberta.

"Rose!" Alberta was shocked.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault this all happened. I didn't know the Strigoi would make a full on massacre," Alberta raised my head.

"Dear, it's not your fault. It's part of our fault to blame. We were caught unsuspected. No one checked the wards at that interval," I hugged Alberta. "I missed you, dear," My heart was relieved that everyone seemed alright. _'Someone's missing…'_ I looked around.

"Is something wrong?" Dimitri came over and asked.

"Um…no. I might be crazy for asking, but where are Guardian Hathaway and Abe?" I saw Alberta and Kirova tense up. _'Shit…please don't say what I think it is.'_

"Rose…" Tears already welled in my eyes. "Rose, your mom…passed away. She died trying to protect your dad," That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I lost strength in my legs and Dimitri pulled on my arm to try and keep me upright.

"Mom…mom…died?" Alberta now looked away.

"When?" I tried to ask as best as I could.

"Just couple of hours ago when her heart gave out on her," Kirova spoke up. I broke free of Dimitri's grasp and ran. However, suddenly Dimitri tackled me.

"I won't let you go see her. I'm sorry, Rose, but you'll thank me for this later," Dimitri yelled at me. I kept struggling.

"Get off me!" I screamed. Vladmir quickly came over.

"Dimitri, let her go," Dimitri kept a heavy weight on me by shielding me in some form.

"No! I won't let her see anymore. I won't let her get hurt anymore! I won't let anyone hurt her anymore! Not even if it means seeing her mother one last time!" Dimitri yelled, now covering my eyes. I thrashed on the ground, but Dimitri held tight. Alberta eventually took Dimitri off me.

"Dimitri…let her. It's the last time," Dimitri looked at me, not wanting me to go.

"Rose…" He reached his hand out to me. I took it.

"Come with me," I walked slowly, almost terrified to enter the school. But my legs started to carry me far and fast as I started running down the hallway. Dimitri caught up and when I burst into the hospital section of the school, I saw a body lying on one of the beds. When I walked up to it, I could see it was clearly my mother. A black aura surrounded me and Dimitri tried to calm me.

"It's alright. I'm here…I'm here…I'll take care of you. Don't worry," I shut my eyes tight and screamed. The dark powers were expelled quickly and my wings formed. I cried in Dimitri's arms. "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry," The other guardians came in now.

"GET OUT!" Dimitri roared at them. A force of darkness pushed all of them back, slamming some into walls. Only Dimitri was allowed in here, no one else. I snarled and snapped at them as Vladmir walked through with no problem. Vladmir grabbed my other hand stopping me from killing them. I snarled like a wild animal and snapped at Vladmir. I took him and slammed him into a wall. My eyes became feral as I was completely wild and uncontrollable.

"Rose, sweetheart? Look at me, it's me, Vladmir. I'm not here to hurt you," I looked back at Dimitri who glared at Vladmir. Alberta and Kirova now came in. "Both of you stay away from her!" Vladmir yelled. Alberta saw me and Kirova tried to help Vladmir.

"Are you happy now? This is what I tried to prevent!" Dimitri yelled to Alberta. Feeling defeated, I finally ran out of the infirmary. _'This isn't fair. This isn't fair at all.'_ When I ran, I crashed into a person.

"Excuse me. I didn't see you there," As I was still on the ground, the person tried to approach me. I slapped his hand away. "Miss, are you alright?" He kneeled down to me. When I looked at him, he wiped my tears. "You must be Princess Mazur. I'm sorry about your mother," He gave me a hug.

"W-who a-are…y-you?" I tried to speak up.

"I'm Michael, one of the teachers here. I teach math. Calculus, so to speak," I pushed him away.

"Sorry, but I have a fiancé already. I really shouldn't be…" He nodded.

"I know. Your fiancé is my best friend," He picked me up off the ground. "He's told me quite a bit about you and all the recent happenings and what not. You're brave despite what some guardians speak of you. I know the first two you met weren't exactly too refrained," Dimitri caught up to us.

"Michael!" I turned and ran into Dimitri's arms. Dimitri picked me up.

"Thank you so much for finding her," Michael and Dimitri shook hands.

"No problem, it's been awhile. She's definitely a catch," Michael winked at me and I slapped him in return.

"Uh…sorry about that. She's quite territorial at the moment," Dimitri turned me away from Michael. Michael touched his cheek.

"It's quite alright. I suppose that was a rude way to phrase it. Forgive me, Princess Mazur. I was out of line," By now, I had kind of been asleep on Dimitri's shoulder.

"I'll bring her to my room. She's tired from everything. We should meet tomorrow," Dimitri started to walk to his new room. When I felt him lay me down onto his bed, I quickly opened my eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" He touched my face gently. "Go back to sleep," He coaxed me. I sat up on the bed. I suddenly felt nauseous and ran into the bathroom to throw up. Dimitri ran in to help hold my hair.

"Rose, are you sure you're okay?" I coughed a bit then continued to throw up whatever my stomach still had.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine," I flushed the toilet and then rinsed my mouth.

"I can go get the doctor for you-"

"NO! I refuse to go back in there," I cut him off. I wasn't going near the infirmary anytime soon.

"Rose, if you're not feeling well, you should go," He was worried. I cleaned up my face and sat on the bed again.

"I'm okay. Really, I just need some time and space," I headed to the door. "Go meet up with the other guardians or something. I'm just going to wander a bit," I closed the door after I left. I walked out of the dorms and into the main school building. I saw the classrooms as the students were in session. As I kept walking, I eventually saw a classroom where Dimitri was suddenly teaching. As I stood outside, I saw him pointing to the chalkboard and whatnot. I bet it was his trial run to be a teacher. Better not mess this up. I kept watching from the door.

"Excuse me?" I quickly turned and stumbled, startled by whoever had called my name. I stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor in Dimitri's class.

"Uh…" Dimitri turned to me.

"Roza!" Dimitri looked at the door.

"Annabelle," Dimitri spoke to the girl.

"Guardian Belikov," The girl came and hugged him. _'Who is she?'_ Dimitri seemed glad to see her too.

"It's nice to see you again," He hugged her back. It felt uncomfortable so I left.

"Rose, come back here," Dimitri called out. When I turned back, I saw Annabelle smirk at me.

"Get away from him," I warned her. Dimitri quickly knew this would get ugly.

"Class, work on pages ninety to one hundred," He instructed quickly. The class, probably realizing Dimitri's strictness, started working with no question.

"And who are you?" Annabelle asked, obviously not glad to see me.

"His fiancé," I retorted in a spiteful manner. Annabelle looked back at Dimitri, obviously not too happy.

"You promised me you would go out with me when I was older!" Annabelle yelled at Dimitri while pointing at me. I flinched at the remark.

"Annabelle…that was years ago…" Dimitri spoke quietly. _'I wonder if he made a promise as a joke or something in the past.'_ Annabelle glared at me.

"You don't deserve him! You're just some Moroi princess who uses people! What does he even see in you?" Dimitri slapped her.

"Know your place!" Annabelle left the class, nose in the air like an arrogant little princess.

"Dimitri…"

"Rose, I meant to tell you, but…" I shook my head.

"It's your past and I'm not going to snoop. Whatever you have to do, go take care of it. I'll be okay with it," If a relationship with Dimitri was going to work, I have to let him have his personal space. He hugged me.

"I love you Roza," I smiled.

"I love you too, Comrade," Suddenly he had his hand on my jaw.

"Open up," I opened my mouth and he popped a candy into my mouth. _'Huh?'_ I tasted it. Tasted like strawberry.

"Like it?" He smiled. As he pet my hair a bit, I smiled back at him.

"Are you okay now?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," The class suddenly became quiet and when we turned, the class was staring at us. _'Oops.'_ I quickly gave him a kiss and left. Before I completely left, I saw him teaching the class again. All the guardians were teaching now as I wandered throughout the school. The school was similar to St. Vladmir's. It was just bigger with more classrooms and what not. As I walked out onto the field, I saw Vladmir teaching students on magic. Everything was in its natural order, but me. I was the one that felt out of place. I was now the one who didn't belong. Eventually, the bell rang and Vladmir saw me. I turned away and left.

"Rose!" I ran, fast. I ran away from him, I ran away from the school, and I was running away from myself. I'm not a person to adjust quickly. I know I'm high maintenance, but…for once, I wanted to leave and just be alone. Vladmir caught up though, yanking on my wrist.

"Rose, I said stop!" He yelled. I pulled my wrist away from him.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled back, pushing him back. He flinched, but I headed back to the dorms, back to Dimitri's room.

"Roza!" I ran past Dimitri as Vladmir pursued. Finally, I slammed the door and locked it in Vladmir's face. I managed to get to the bed before darkness forcefully emitted itself from me. I screamed as I kept seeing ghosts, images of the dead and my mother. I slammed myself into walls, cabinets, whatever to cause them to leave. Rage burned within my body and all I could think was killing something. I needed to have revenge.

"Roza! Hang on!" Dimitri used his key to get in and saw me, partially transformed. I growled before I collapsed onto the floor.

"Get some guardians here!" Dimitri yelled. "Hang on, sweetheart. Just hang on," Black spots started to cloud my vision. I thrashed and fought, trying to escape Dimitri's grip on my body. When more guardians came, I quickly backed away into a corner.

"Vladmir, what did you do to her?" Dimitri yelled.

"Absolutely nothing. I called her name and she freaked out. Something is freaking her out and it's none of us. It's what she probably saw earlier," Vladmir explained.

"D-dimitri…p-please…" Dimitri quickly pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back.

"It's going to be okay sweetheart, I'm here. Just focus on my voice. Nothing else," My body was shaking. He quickly draped his duster over me, trying to keep me warm. I shook it off and thrashed.

"Rose, listen to me, you need to calm down!" Dimitri yelled. The rest of my transformation completed itself and I was a wolf again standing before them. I snarled and growled as fear and anger only pulsed through my mind.

"Guardian Petrov," Vladmir called. Alberta came over.

"I will say this very clearly. Whatever traumatic happens in the future, you are to make sure Rose does not see it. Because of her fears, it's causing her physical harm as well as mental harm. Am I crystal clear?" Vladmir asked of her.

"Yes, Your Highness," I stood before Dimitri, growling at him and barking.

"Is there a way to calm her down?" Dimitri asked Vladmir as they kept their distance from me. When I charged at Dimitri, I tackled him full force into a wall before kicking Vladmir off to the side. Dimitri held me back as I snapped at him.

"Rose, look at me! Calm down! You're not there anymore. You're here! You're here with me," I looked at him before backing off. When I looked around to see where I was, I realized Dimitri's room was wrecked. I had done it again. I lost control. When I transformed back, Dimitri looked at me warily.

"Rose? Are you okay? Say something…?" I started to cry. "Rose, sweetheart!" Dimitri kissed me but nothing worked. "Tell me what's wrong? Hey, talk to me Roza," I kept crying.

"I want my mom back! I want my dad back!" I screamed.

"This is what you did, Guardian Petrov. Now do you think it was a good idea?" Dimitri yelled. He cradled me carefully, facing me away from everyone as I cried. I heard someone walking closer and I flinched.

"Do. Not. Touch. Her," Dimitri warned Alberta.

"I'm really sorry, Rose. I didn't mean for it to hurt you," I heard her speak. I didn't want to hear any of it.

"Just go away!" I screamed at her. Dimitri held me tighter.

"It's alright. I've got you. Don't worry. As for the rest of you guys, I think we'll be fine here. You may leave," I heard the guardians leave altogether. When I turned back, Dimitri held me like a small child. "Shh…we're here. Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright now. Don't cry," He rocked me back and forth until my sobs calmed. "Vladmir, is there a way for her to meet her dad?" I looked at Vladmir.

"I'll go check. I'm sure there's a way," Finally, the black spots returned and I closed my eyes.

"Get some rest, Roza. You've had a long day," I opened my eyes again wearily. "I'll be here with you when you wake up. Everything's going to be alright now. I promise," He used his hand to cover my eyes and close them before I fell asleep, exhausted, and completely depleted of energy.

**Aww…poor Rose. At least her dad is still alive. That does mean Abe will be coming back shortly. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I promise, things will get less depressing from here. Keep reviewing! (I noticed the last chapter was a bit short on reviews so try to keep it up guys! I'll really make updating a lot faster!)**


	22. Chapter 22: Regret and Carried Guilt

**So here's chapter 22! Thanks to loventherussian17, Twilighternproud, Marylou23, MelanieRoseHathaway, , WildChildBornGood, Do'B, and roseskyangel for reviewing. Please suggest this story to your friends if they like VA romance stories! I kinda want to get back to 10 reviews per chapter and it's somehow dropping. Thanks so much for all the support so far! And I really am sorry for not updating faster!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA or any of the characters except for Michael and Annabelle.**

**Chapter 22**

It had been a week since my mother had passed away. The memorial and burial ceremony was soon to be held. Vladmir had forbidden me from going saying that I would snap and a lot of people would get hurt. And to be honest, I didn't want to go. I didn't want to see people mourning over my mother who didn't even know her. Now, Dimitri taught the math class I was in. I was in advanced calculus whereas Michael taught the preliminary calculus class so I had it easy. Dimitri was strict though despite our relationship. Trust me; I managed to still get a C on my last test. Now, here I was, sitting in class for another test. But because of past events, I hadn't even had a sliver of time to study. I sat there, frozen, while staring at my still blank test. Suddenly, a piece of paper flew to me, onto my desk. When I opened it, I didn't understand it.

_A_

_B_

_A_

_E_

_D_

_C_

'_Huh?'_ Dimitri came by suddenly, holding his hand out. I looked back at who was behind me. Annabelle was behind me. _'Shit. Those were the answers!'_ When I realized what they were, I just looked away. _'What am I supposed to tell him now?'_ He looked at the piece of paper and gave me a disappointing look. _'You know what? To hell with this bullying crap.'_ I stood up suddenly and the class looked at me.

"Here!" I slammed the empty test down on Dimitri's desk.

"Roza…" He was confused and surprised.

"Annabelle, listen to me, I'm only going to say this once. If you want Dimitri, challenge me. But this type of underhanded method will get you nowhere. Keep this up, and you'll be beaten pretty badly later on. Am I clear?" I growled, using every ounce of strength to prevent me from beating up her already.

"Rose, take your test back. Keep working or do as much as you can," Dimitri spoke, interrupting our glaring at each other.

"I can't," I admitted.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because for goddamn sakes, I don't know any of the answers Dimitri!" I snapped at him. _'Shit.'_ He was shocked.

"Give me an F already. I don't care," I headed out the door, leaving the class in awe. As I walked down the hallway, I heard some guardians talking.

"So is the memorial set up?"

"Yeah. Almost. They're bringing the coffin out later," I winced at the sentence. Tears stung my eyes and I ran in the opposite direction.

"Rose, shouldn't you be in class?" I turned to the voice. It was Michael.

"Why do you care?" I hissed back.

"I don't. But Dimitri does. He told me to check up on you. He was worried, saying you turned in a blank test, snapped at him and left. I know things have been hard on you, but-"

"Shut up with that already!" I snapped at him too. "I've had so many people try and sympathize with me, but no one freaking understands! So don't go around pretending you do too! If I had a dime for every time someone's told me that the past week, I'd be getting a new iPod by now. So leave me the hell alone," I stormed off from him too, leaving him speechless. Suddenly the school bell rang, well that was the end of the school day. I headed back to Dimitri's room. What was nice was that I could move in with him by permission of Vladmir. I got into the bed and curled up as I cried. I hated that I never had the chance to say goodbye. For all I knew, my mom could've died thinking I still hated her and that was what bugged me the most.

"Knock, knock," I didn't bother answering. The door creaked open and I heard Dimitri sigh.

"Roza…" He sat on the bed, stroking my arm after feeling around a bit. "You're taking this pretty hard, aren't you…" I whimpered a bit, then sniffling. "You didn't like your mother. So why is it bothering you so much?" He asked. I came out from underneath the covers.

"Because she died thinking I hated her! Because she died without hearing me say goodbye!" I cried out. Dimitri held me close to him.

"So that's what's bothering you. Then ignore Vladmir's orders, go to the funeral. Tell your mother that you loved her and that you wanted to say goodbye," Dimitri suggested. I shook my head.

"I can't…" I whispered. "I can't bring myself to go. I can't betray Vladmir. What he said is correct. If I go, then people will get hurt the minute I snap," I told him.

"Then I'll be there to comfort you. I'll be there for you to hurt rather than the others. Rose, you've killed me before and I came back because of you," He showed me the scar of my claw on his chest. "Roza, this reminds me every day that I am alive for your purpose. I'm here to be next to you and guide you. As a teacher, lover, or parent, I'll be all of them for you if that's what you need. So what if you give me another scar. That just shows me that I have more to protect you from. That's my purpose for you. That won't ever change," He moved some strands of hair from my face. "You've heard the phrase, 'I'll be there to catch you when you fall.' And that's exactly what I'm going to do," He helped me sit up, then wiped my tears.

"The memorial's starting already. Are you coming? I'm not going to force you. If you don't want to go, I'll stay here with you. I won't leave you no matter what. You have my word," I thought about it for a moment.

"I want to go," I whispered. He nodded and carried me in his arms. When we got to the field, everyone was already there putting a rose on the coffin, then stepping back. When I stepped to the field, some leaves crunched causing people to turn to me suddenly. Vladmir looked at me, hurrying as I stepped back.

"Why is she here?" Vladmir yelled at Dimitri.

"Because she chose to be here. I didn't force her," Vladmir looked back at me. I played with my magic and formed a rose using my dark powers, then using enough force to make it solid. I laid my rose in the center of all the roses.

"Mom, I'm sorry I ever said those mean things to you. I'm sorry I never said goodbye. I'm sorry if I ever disappointed you," I whispered. Lissa put a hand on my shoulder and smiling a bit.

"She wouldn't be disappointed," Then she headed off with Christian and the others.

"What is there to even mourn about?" I turned to the loud voice. It was Annabelle. I glared at her.

"You're not welcome here!" I yelled back.

"I don't want to be here. You know, you're mother was totally kind enough to protect your dad but not anyone else and that's what got her killed. She wasn't a guardian at all. She was there to protect your reject Moroi dad!" I froze on the spot as I heard other Moroi whispering.

"T-that's not true!" I yelled back. My dark powers were enraged and next thing I knew was my wings appeared and I flew to Annabelle in the stands using lightning speed, slamming her into the seats.

"Rose! Rose! Stay in control!" My magic created a sword and I held it to her neck.

"Take back what you said," I growled.

"And what if I don't," She sneered. Man, this girl was really getting to me. I pressed the sword into her neck more, starting to draw blood. "You don't deserve Dimitri and you know it. You're just a spoiled Moroi princess," She kept running her mouth off. I withdrew my sword.

"Wow, you really are a coward," She smirked now. I slapped her.

"I'm not a Moroi. I'm a dhampir. I'm a princess because of this!" I created a shadow ball and pushed it into Annabelle, sending her flying further into the stands. Dimitri came and ran to me.

"Rose, stop!" He pulled me back and aside.

"Look at me! What she said isn't true! You know the truth! So what she says doesn't matter!" I looked back at Annabelle but Dimitri forced my head to turn back so I was solely looking at him. I struggled to break free of his grasp.

"Roza! Look at me!" I glared at him. Suddenly his eyes glowed blue and my dark powers drained from me. _'What the hell?'_ I collapsed onto Dimitri. "Vladmir, it worked!" I looked and saw Vladmir help Annabelle, but I literally felt sedated so I was unable to move. Nonetheless, my heart was determined to kill Annabelle once and for all. I struggled even getting onto my hands and knees. Dimitri holding me back wasn't helping either. "Roza, stay down!" Dimitri groaned. I glared at him and he accidentally let go. Using that split second, my wings spread and I flew towards Annabelle with a new shadow ball in hand.

"STOP!" Vladmir stood in my way suddenly causing me drift sharply and crash into seats. When I tried to move, I screamed in pain. Obviously a bone was broken.

"Rose!" Dimitri ran up and tried to soothe me. I clutched onto my arm. The shadow ball dispelled, leaving me with the only ability left to glare at Annabelle. Annabelle was now unconscious in Vladmir's arms as Dimitri carried me. Everyone else on the field was shocked. I wriggled a bit and let my wings carry me to my mother's coffin.

"Mom…I tried…I really tried…" I shed a couple of tears before heading to the infirmary with Dimitri. The entire way there, I stayed silent.

"Rose…I…" Dimitri started. I looked at him then turned away. "Roza!" This time he stood in front of me. I looked away. "Look, Roza, I'm sorry!" He tried to explain.

"Explain what?" I shouted, tears quickly streaming down my face. "Explain what? It's clear to me where you stand on this matter! You knew what I was trying to do and yet you betrayed me! You knew I should've killed that bitch when I had the chance and you stopped me! Why did you do that?" I yelled.

"Because I was protecting you," He stated firmly. I flinched. _'What?'_ "Because I was protecting you, I had to bring you there for Annabelle. She said that if I didn't bring you to the funeral, she would've killed Damien. Rose, if it's one thing I learned about you the past week is that you love Damien with all your heart because he understood you when we all turned our backs on you. I had to protect him to protect you. Please understand that!" He kissed me deeply. I stood in the hallway in shock.

"You protected Damien…for me?" I asked again, almost trying to check to make sure.

"Yes…I did," He sighed. "Are you angry?" I shook my head.

"I can't be angry. What you did was right. Instead, I should be the one to apologize for snapping at you," He gave me a hug.

"What's done is done. No need to apologize. We've all had our share of mistakes," Dimitri led me to the infirmary.

"Doctor?" Dimitri yelled throughout the infirmary.

"Coming!" Dr. Olendski rushed to me. "Broken arm?" I nodded. She sighed. "Can you ever stay out of danger?" She joked. She started wrapping my arm. I gritted my teeth.

"You're doing great, Rose. Just hold still for a bit longer," Dimitri tried to keep my arm still. When the doctor was done, I had a sky blue colored cast.

"Knowing your healing powers, you'll be fine in like two weeks. Come back then," I nodded and left with Dimitri.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked. My wings folded back and disappeared.

"I don't know. All I feel is darkness at the moment. The next time I see Annabelle, do whatever it takes to stop me. Because if you can't…I will kill her and I'm afraid of killing you too," Dimitri hugged me.

"You won't hurt me. I trust you that you won't," I nodded and we headed to his room. "Here," He put a small pillow on the desk to keep my arm up.

"What are we doing? I'm not in the mood to do anything," I told him.

"I'm tutoring you, in math," I groaned before hitting my head on the desk.

"Seriously, Comrade? I'm not in the mood if you haven't noticed," I whined.

"Rose, you need to catch up. Get your text book," I turned to grab my textbook and hit my broken hand right into the pole of a lamp.

"Shit!" Dimitri turned, seeing me bend over in pain.

"Rose, are you okay?" He tried to calm me down and lessen the pain. When I took a deep breath in and relaxed, the pain started leaving.

"Better?" I nodded. He grabbed my text book instead.

"Keep your arm elevated until the cast dries," He opened the text book, starting to lecture as he wrote for me. Sadly, the arm I broke was the one I write with. In the middle of his lectures, he would look at me to make sure I was paying attention or still okay. Finally after what seemed like three hours of lecture, I lowered my broken arm.

"Is everything alright?" I nodded.

"Yeah. I kept it up too long and my arm is tired," He gently took my hand and rested it on his leg.

"There. Keep it still for another hour or so just to make sure," He started lecturing again. Because now I had finally learned the concepts, I was sure to ace my next few tests probably without even studying. At the end, he closed the textbook. "I'll let you skip some homework assignments for now since you can't write, but make sure you keep studying it so you know it when the test comes around," I simply nodded. When I sat on the bed, I stared at him. He sighed, coming over as well.

"Something's bothering you. I can tell so spill it," He looked back at me intently. I stayed silent as I stared at him. I took off the ring and looked at the beauty of it. "Rose, I don't like where this is heading. What's going on?" Then I put it back on and I swore I heard a sigh of relief from him.

"No…nothing's wrong. Don't worry. I'm going to go on a walk," I got up heading for the door.

"I'll come with you," I shook my head.

"No. Stay here. I'll be back in an hour or so. I want to be alone," He blocked me from the door.

"Unless I'm coming, you're not going anywhere. I need to keep you away from Annabelle. You said so yourself, didn't you?" He asked.

"Yes, I did. But just for an hour. I don't know, fifteen minutes then. I just want to be alone. You'll know where I am. Trust me on that," I left and headed to a secret staircase that led to the roof of the dormitory rooms. When I went up, I sat down and the wind blew through my hair as I breathed in the cool air. It was relaxing. The door to the roof creaked open and I saw Dimitri standing at the door.

"No, don't," He spoke. "Just stay there and think as much as you need to. I won't say a word. I'm just here to make sure you're safe. That's all," I nodded and faced back towards the wind as it kept blowing through my hair. Looking down at my cast, I sighed. Grabbing a sharpie from my pocket in case anyone wanted to sign it, I wrote the word _smile_ on it. But I couldn't do what I wrote down. I looked down as I cried silently, not wanting Dimitri to hear. Nothing felt right to me anymore. It's like in one fell swoop, I lost everything.

"You haven't lost everything yet," I turned to Dimitri who finally spoke up.

"How did you-" He pointed to his head.

"Vladmir gave me part of his powers so I could keep you safe," He was sitting down, leaning against a wall. I turned away and wiped my tears.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, finally getting up. Turning me to him, he wiped the tears himself. "You've been hot and cold to me the last few weeks and I'm trying to understand why. What's going on? Are you isolated or scared? You need to let me know," He held my hands. I shook my head.

"No," He tried to look at me from underneath.

"No what? No, you're not scared? No, you won't tell me?" He was trying to prod around for an answer. I kept shaking my head. He stood up and I looked at him. He gently placed his hand on my forehead and closed his eyes. When I realized what he was doing, I pushed him away.

"Don't you dare try to read into my mind," He stumbled but quickly stabilized himself.

"You don't want to find out what's going on in there," I headed back inside with him trailing me.

"Rose, wait!" I didn't wait. Suddenly he pulled my wrist as I walked down the stair and tripped.

"Shoot!" He jumped, covering me before we fell. I had closed my eyes shut. "You can open your eyes now. We're safe," I opened them slowly and saw me on top of Dimitri's body as he protected me. I quickly looked at him. He was okay for the most part.

"Th-thanks…" I quickly got off of him.

"Rose, I know what you're scared of," I froze. _'Had those few seconds already let him find out?'_

"If you say it, I will kill you here and now, no hesitation," I threatened him.

"I don't care. I'll say it out loud so you recognize it. The reason you're scared. You're scared of her," He spoke mysteriously. I scoffed. _'Maybe he doesn't know.'_

"I'm not scared of anyone, especially Annabelle and neither am I afraid of Tasha," I spoke back bravely. He gave me a serious look. _'He knew what I was thinking and he knew what I was afraid out without a shadow of a doubt.'_

"I know you're not afraid of them. They're not the ones you are afraid of. You're afraid of Lissa," I froze.

"So you know," I finally admitted. _'I guess there's no hiding it now.'_

"Yeah. Tell me. Why? She's your friend. Why are you afraid of her?" Dimitri pressed onwards.

"Why? Because I carry the guilt of killing her brother she loved so much. I killed Andre in the car accident. We had a relationship behind Lissa and when the car accident came, he protected me. Not Lissa, but me. And that got him killed. Sure, I died and Lissa brought me back. But to be honest, I would rather have died and not have to live with this guilt. Lissa was protected by her mother. Not me. That's why I can't face her anymore. As long as I can use my power to push her away, I'll use it as much as I want. And if you stand in my way or tell her, I'll kill you," I spoke to him seriously before leaving him and heading to Vladmir's room to train a bit.

**Wow! Shocking! Rose is scared of Lissa. Then again, in that situation, it's understandable. Anyways, I hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the reviews…although, I'm sad to announce the numbers of reviews are dropping. I highly encourage people to review, because whatever you guys suggest, I might change the story to what I see fits. Stay tuned!**


	23. Chapter 23: Trust and Love

**So here's chapter 23! Thanks to Twilighternproud, roseskyangel, loventherussian17, bloodyXfangs, , klaus-is-epic, snowgoose, and Do'B for the reviews! You guys mean a lot to me! Please keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA, characters, plot, etc. except for Michael and Annabelle.**

**Chapter 23**

"You're afraid of Lissa, because of that?" Dimitri asked, almost sounding shocked. I looked away. I had been friends with Lissa, close friends, not because of what happened before the accident, but for what happened afterwards. Carrying the guilt of killing your best friend's brother wasn't exactly what I had in mind. All this time, I had to stay friends with her to make myself feel better even though I knew the guilt would eventually eat at my heart little by little whether I acknowledged it or not. I didn't answer to Dimitri. He obviously had it figured out already.

"Don't push it," I growled at him as a warning. My anger had boiled onto the surface after hearing what I heard the last few minutes.

"Roza…I'm sorry, but that's a really stupid reason. Vasilisa's mother protected her so the next one was you. Andre just decided to be that person to protect you. Tell Lissa the truth, she'll understand," He spoke. I shook my head.

"No, she won't. She is so attached to Andre even after he died that it's not even funny. She'll say I should've protected Andre. Lissa's ignorant. You know that. But sometimes, ignorance is bliss," I looked back at him as he was still sitting down on the floor of the stairway.

"You're hurting her more by not telling her," He added.

"I know that! But what she doesn't know, can't hurt her. I'd like to keep it that way," Suddenly he got up. "Where are you going?" I demanded.

"To tell the princess, what else? Look, if she hates you after, so be it. It just shows you that she wasn't true to you either, that she doesn't respect your feelings," I pushed him against the wall.

"You can't tell her! You absolutely cannot tell her!" I yelled.

"Watch me," He moved me aside and exited the stairwell. I didn't know what to do now. If I chased after him, it'd be likely Lissa would see me. _'Was he serious on telling?'_ My heart pounded. My worst fear could come to life in a matter of seconds. _'Move! You have to stop him!'_ I turned and ran after Dimitri. When I had chased him down, he was in front of Lissa. I quickly stopped. Lissa looked at me confused. _'Did he tell her? Should I get closer?'_

'_Rose? What's going on?'_

Lissa was trying to ask me through the bond.

'_He told me everything. Is that true? Did Andre protect you?'_

I gulped and my heart pounded. Dimitri gave me a look telling me to figure this challenge out.

'_Tell me the truth, Rose. Right. Now'_

She was getting angry. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind. From the scent, it was Vladmir. He covered my eyes.

"Listen to me, let it back into me," I quickly let him take the dark powers a bit. My rapid breathing didn't do any good as more energy was added than it was taken. I collapsed from Vladmir onto my knees as I was forced to shake my head. Lissa gave me a dark glare. It was all going to unravel now. She walked to me and took her necklace, the one I gave her a long time ago, broke it and threw it at me.

"I'm not angry because Andre protected you. I'm beyond pissed that you never told me. I'm furious that you thought so little of me," She turned and walked off. I cried as Dimitri came to me.

"Stay back!" I flinched from him. Vladmir held me tight as he tried to get me standing.

"Dimitri, you shouldn't have done that. She should've told Lissa on her own accord. You did it without her permission," Vladmir spoke up.

"She wouldn't have told the princess. It wouldn't have mattered," Then again, what he said was true too. I wouldn't have told her. If it wasn't for Dimitri, I would've held this in as a secret until I died. I gently pushed Vladmir back. I bent down, picking up the broken pieces of the necklace until my hands trembled. Dimitri picked up the rest and threw it away along with the pieces I held. I guess my friendship with Lissa was over. That was that. No turning back now. I turned to leave and as I did, I heard Dimitri slam into a wall. I saw Vladmir glaring at Dimitri as they fought. Quickly, I used my powers to help Dimitri.

"Get off of him!" I screamed. A force separated Vladmir from Dimitri.

"Dimitri didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I thank him for doing that. To be honest, I should've done it myself, but he did what I couldn't. I'll admit that I don't want to see Dimitri right now. But he did the right thing," I slowly walked away, back to Dimitri's room. I sat on the bed, feeling lost. Dimitri came into the room eventually. As he walked closer to me, he kneeled down and looked at me.

"Are you going to be okay?" I didn't answer him. "Just give me a signal somehow, please?" I nodded. Suddenly, my stomach did a flip and I ran to the bathroom. He followed quickly and I bent over the toilet. Before I knew it, I started to throw up. He knew I was having something similar to a panic attack so he rubbed my back until my stomach emptied its contents. When I was done, I quickly rinsed my mouth to get rid of the taste. This was worse than having any Strigoi hit the hell out of you. When he knew I was okay, he picked me up into his arms.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Don't worry," He gently laid me on the bed. "Just take it easy," I stared at him as he took off his shirt. I saw the scar I had given him a while back. There were three slash marks, faint, but distinguishable. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers over us. Then he propped me onto his arm as his other arm wrapped around me, giving me a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry for hurting you like I did, but it was for your own good. You know that, right?" I nodded.

"Yeah…" He held me tight as he warmed me up. It felt nice.

"Get some rest. I'll wake you up when it's dinner time. Alright?" I nodded and curled up beside him.

"Good girl," He kissed my forehead before I fell asleep, exhausted from everything that was happening.

_Later that evening…_

"Rose, wake up. Time for dinner," I slowly opened my eyes. When I tried to get up, he held my broken arm still. "Careful," He sat me up and I yawned. When I shivered, he put a sweater on me. "Better?" I nodded.

"Thanks," I smiled slightly at him.

"Not a problem," He got up to get dressed.

"Wait," He turned to me. I placed his hand on his heart and followed the scar marks.

"Don't worry about it anymore. It's not bothering me nor should it be bothering you," He got dressed and took my hand. "Come on. I think it's time for dinner," My stomach growled. "And I think you think so too," I blushed.

"Sorry," I laughed nervously. He gave a chuckle, something I missed a lot. I started to laugh myself.

"See? You're better already," I nodded, this time with confidence.

"Yeah, you're right. If Lissa hates me, so be it. It just wasn't worth it," I stated.

"Exactly," He held my hand as we walked to the cafeteria. I quickly let go.

"What's wrong?" He looked at me worriedly.

"Um…we're still teacher and student, right?" He chuckled.

"They already know here and the headmaster had no problem with it. He's a friend of my mother's so you could say I get special treatment," He joked.

"OMG! Is that a joke I just heard, Comrade?" He ruffled my hair a bit for fun and we laughed as we walked in, hand in hand. When everyone saw us, they either were whispering or smiling at us. When we headed to where the food was, he pulled me aside to the cashier where he talked to the person working there in Russian. The man replied back, but I understood none of it. "Um…I'd hate to interrupt, but shouldn't we get food?" Dimitri smiled at me. "You're not eating the food from the cafeteria. I had something special made for you. Follow me," We walked to a cafeteria lady who thankfully spoke English.

"Is the meal ready?" Dimitri asked her.

"Yes, just like you asked. I'll go to the back and get it out," She smiled at me and left. _'I wonder what this is about?'_ I looked at Dimitri and he smiled, still giving me no clue about what the meal was. When the lady brought out a tray, it had a metallic cover on the plate.

"Woah! You didn't order filet mignon, did you?" I asked.

"Wait, that isn't your favorite food, is it?" He asked, suddenly worried.

"Uh…no…but…" He smiled and sighed.

"Thank god you're dense sometimes," He said.

"Thanks…HEY!" He laughed.

"Come on, Roza, I have a special place for us," We headed to the back of the cafeteria where there was a table for two, away from the other students. There, a rose was set in the middle of the table and two candles, His meal was already set there. When he brought the plate down, I sat down on the chair as he took his place.

"Can I open and see?" I asked, begging to know what it was.

"No, not yet. Close your eyes," I grumbled playfully and closed my eyes. I heard the metal cover being moved and a scent came to me. I quickly opened my eyes and saw my favorite pepperoni pizza with a dessert of a chocolate covered donut with rainbow sprinkles. However, not only was it pepperoni pizza, but the dough had been shaped like a heart.

"Oh my god, Dimitri…you didn't have to," I told him.

"I know, but it's to make it up to you. If you ever noticed, we haven't even had our first date yet, so I figured a semi-romantic dinner would be right for you," I smiled and took a bit of the donut.

"Yum!" I swayed back and forth totally in chocolate bliss. He laughed as I devoured the dessert first before the main course. I laughed too. He had some type of Russian food, but I didn't bother asking. I took a sip of the coke and continued eating at a rapid pace.

"I figured that since tomorrow is the weekend, I wanted to take you shopping. There's a mall nearby here that's filled with American brands. Pick out the engagement rings and what not-" I cut him off.

"Wait, what? Engagement rings? I'm not eighteen like you said before," He blinked at me, confused.

"Roza, isn't your birthday next week?" Now I was confused.

"What day is it? My birthday is March 27th," I asked.

"Today's March 20th," He answered. I thought about it. _'Wow, I'm going to be eighteen.'_ I squealed and he laughed. I quickly stopped.

"I love it that you're so adorable," He quickly finished eating. I blushed, turning probably a deep shade of red. I quickly finished eating too, trying to stop blushing.

"So does this mean that we have a wedding to plan?" Now he turned red. _'Ha! No one gets the last laugh but Rose Hathaway!'_ He cleared his throat.

"Yes, we have a wedding to plan. You have a little bit less than nine months. You have plenty of time," He answered.

"Wait, nine months? When is the wedding?" He turned red.

"Um…uh…"

"Just say it,"

"I, uh, if you don't mind, I mean, you don't have to agree, but," I groaned.

"Say it!"

"December 25th!" I shocked it out of him. _'December 25__th__? He's planning to marry me on Christmas day?'_ I quickly went to his side, pulled him out of his seat and gave him the most passionate kiss ever. He kissed me back without hesitation. "So I'm assuming you like the date?"

"I love it," He kissed me again. "And I love you, Dimitri,"

"As I love you, my beautiful Roza," Suddenly we heard glass crash against the floor. When we turned, we saw Annabelle. Dimitri quickly got in front of me. "Annabelle, this is a private room, please go back to the cafeteria," She gave us a hollow stare. "Annabelle, do not make me repeat what I said," Dimitri spoke firmly this time. To be honest, I would've done anything to punch her face in, but she looked devastated so I let her off easy.

"Annabelle, you shouldn't be here," I tried to tell her. Dimitri held me back the minute I said that. I walked over to Annabelle, but the minute I was within her range, she slapped me.

"I hate you! You took him away from me! You took the man I've loved for thirteen years away and I hate you!" She screamed. I hugged her. "Let go of me, you bitch!" She struggled, but I held her tight.

"Annabelle, things don't always happen the way we want it to. Believe me. I've had my fair share of problems. I'm sorry for hurting you like this. I'm sorry I took Dimitri away from you, but we love each other. That won't change. Look, we got off to a bad start and I know this is really unlike me, but I'm willing to start over if you are. Dimitri cares about you. He loves you, but just as a kid sister and to be honest, I think he did a bad thing lying to you like that when you were little, keeping your hopes up and all. I know how that feels like, trust me. But fighting won't solve anything. That's what happened with my mom. I thought she would've come for me at the school, but no. She abandoned me and forced me to survive on my own. To be honest, my situation was worse than yours. Dimitri was the one that took care of me all this time. I don't want to fight with you. But if you keep giving me to, I don't know where this will end," I let her go. She pushed me back.

"I won't forgive you. I don't care about what happened in your little miserable life. You took Dimitri away from me. I will have him back," She turned and stormed off.

"Then so be it," I whispered before turning back to Dimitri who was now sitting on the couch, face hidden in his hands.

"You know this isn't your fault," I told him.

"Roza, you have no idea how much guilt is in me, right now. I hurt her. I know what I did is wrong, but I did it when I was thirteen after my dad died. I manipulated her and now I've hurt her," His voice cracked and I hugged him.

"We'll figure this out. Don't worry. Hey, are you still going to take me out on the date tomorrow?" I asked, trying to change subjects.

"Of course I will. That won't ever change. I will marry you, Roza. I promise," He brought me close to him and kissed me. I smiled and kissed him back.

"Come on, I think the both of us has had enough unhappiness for one day. Let's go out and have some fun. You can take me around the city since you know this place so well," I pulled him up from the couch as he smiled.

"It would be an honor to show you my home country," He bowed to me like a prince and I laughed.

"Now that's the Comrade I know," I smiled at him. If he was going to be strong for me, I had to do the same.

"I told you not to call me that," He said in a strict voice, but eventually laughed.

"I could call you anything and you wouldn't care," He gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"You're right. I wouldn't care because you'd still be my Roza either way," We headed to the headmaster's room to ask for permission to leave the school.

"Knock, knock," Dimitri knocked on the headmaster's door.

"Come in!" Dimitri and I entered. "Ah, Dimka, it's so nice to see you again after all these years. And look, even your little Roza has come a long way, hasn't she? You know Miss Hathaway, I have heard a lot of good things about you from this man. I expect you will not disappoint me?" I looked at Dimitri and he blushed.

"No, sir, I will not," I spoke up firmly, though my voice wobbled a bit. I was nervous being in front of the headmaster to the point, where I almost started hiding behind Dimitri.

"She is quite the lovely princess. Now, tell me Dimka, what brings you here today?" He asked.

"Headmaster-"

"Ah, not headmaster, call me Mirko. We have been known each other for a long time now, no?" Dimitri smiled.

"Mirko, can you do me a favor? I want to take Roza out for the rest of the day. Is that alright?" Dimitri spoke casually now, not as nervous as well.

"I thought you were going out tomorrow. It says so right here. Is one day not enough?" Dimitri froze.

"It's just-" I spoke up too quickly and quickly covered my mouth. Both of them looked at me and I suddenly became quiet.

"No, it's quite alright, dear. Continue," Mirko told me. I didn't say anything.

"It's alright, Roza, tell him," Dimitri encouraged me. "Sorry, she has a hard time talking after disrespecting you like that," He defended me.

"Oh, that's quite alright. Roza, speak up," Mirko instructed again.

"I-it's j-just…I-I…" I swallowed hard and tried to continue. "I want to s-see the town, i-if that's a-alright with y-you," I gulped now, tears forming in my eyes from embarrassment. I had just agreed not to disappoint him and now I couldn't even talk.

"Roza, are you okay?" Dimitri asked, concerned when I almost withdrew.

"Yeah…yeah…I'm…I'm fine…" I quickly bowed to the headmaster and ran out the door. My lungs constricted and I felt like I was suffocating. I ran out the school and took a deep breath. Dimitri and Mirko ran out behind me.

"Roza, look at me. Are you okay?" Dimitri asked, extremely concerned after that little stunt. I nodded.

"Miss Hathaway, you don't have to be nervous around me," I saw Dimitri stiffen up a bit.

"I know what's wrong. Roza, is it a panic attack acting up?" I quickly nodded and he started to rub my back. "Mirko, I can take care of it from here. You can return to your office,"

"Dimka, should I call the infirmary?"

"Um…no. Call Vladmir instead," Dimitri held me in his arms. I coughed as my heart started pounding and my lungs constricted.

"Roza, please hold on," I coughed again and Vladmir quickly appeared.

"Lie her down on the grass," Dimitri did as told. "Rose, listen. This won't hurt a bit. Just don't move," Vladmir placed his hands on my chest and I felt spirit coming into my body to straighten out the air flow in my body. My lungs were okay suddenly and my heart calmed. Dimitri helped me sit up. "She should be okay now. Just rub her back a bit and she'll be good as new," Vladmir instructed.

Dimitri leaned me against a tree as he calmed me.

"Are you okay?" He asked me. I took a deep breath and sighed.

"Yeah, for the most part," I stood up and nothing felt wrong. "Can we go now?"

"Ah, speaking of that, Mirko's given you permission to leave off campus. Just, Dimitri, do me a favor and bring her back by midnight," Vladmir seemed to warn us.

"Why midnight?" I asked.

"Well, it's because of your powers, dear. They get stronger as the day passes. By midnight, that is your strongest peak. However, that also means that you will be more agitated easily. If you snap, Dimitri will have quite a bit of a job on his hands. I just don't want that to happen for you guys. So, Dimitri, if you may," Vladmir looked at Dimitri as Dimitri nodded.

"I understand. Rose, come on, we don't have time to waste," He took my hand as we headed for the school's parking garage. There were so many cars, all quite expensive. As we looked at which car to take, I saw a red convertible. I quickly pointed to it.

"Alright. Hop in," The keys were there and everything so we took off, heading to the local shopping district nearby. When we arrived, it was nothing like I've ever seen. It was nothing like stores and malls. Instead they were stands that sold fruit, food, and even home pets like birds, cats and dogs.

"As you probably noticed, it's not so much a mall, but a marketplace instead," Dimitri spoke up. He seemed to enjoy the sight. No doubt he misses his homeland. We got out of the car.

"There's so many people here. It's not even a weekend,"

"Does it have to be?" He asked back.

"I guess not," I started looking around. "Hey, look!" I ran to a cart where an old lady was selling puppies. I picked on up. It was adorable. It was light brown with a white belly and darker brown fur for its ears. When I barked, I squealed.

"Aww…it's so cute!" When I noticed, Dimitri started talking to the old lady.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"Of course I do! Who wouldn't?" I showed him the puppy's face. He just smiled thought. Sadly, I placed the puppy down.

"Don't you want it?"

"I do. But the school won't allow it," I told him. Even he should've known that much.

"True. Should we go?" I looked back at the puppy and walked away. My heart sank knowing that was the exact way I was abandoned by my mother. I heard it bark and I ran to the town center, farther away from the puppy. Dimitri ran with me and when I sat down at the plaza center, he noticed I had a painful look on my face. Suddenly, the old lady had followed us, tugging on Dimitri's sleeve.

"Rose, stay here. She wanted me to help her fix something so don't move. It's easy to get lost," I nodded as I contemplated if it was the right thing to do, leaving the dog. I mean, sure I wasn't allowed to have one, but I just felt guilty leaving it there. After a few minutes, I started to worry. _'What's taking Dimitri so long?'_ I felt a nauseous feeling and bent over. I saw shadows moving within the crowds and I looked at the moon. It was up, shining brightly. It was still nine o'clock at night so I should be okay. When Dimitri ran back, he had the puppy with him.

"Roza!" He called out. The puppy barked, happy to see me.

"Dimitri…you know we can't keep him," I told him.

"Happy early birthday," He handed me the puppy. I hugged it as it licked my face.

"Thank you!" I hugged Dimitri too as the puppy barked happily. "I love you," I kissed his lips as he kissed back.

"I love you too, Roza," Suddenly the dog growled and my eerie feeling from earlier came back. So I wasn't the only one who noticed a menacing presence.

"Something's wrong…" I stared in the same direction. The same shadows moved within the crowds. "Dimitri, I want to leave, now," He looked at me worriedly. He too, saw the shadows.

"Come on! Let's go. Alex, come along," The puppy ran with us. But because it ran too slowly, I picked it up and held it as we ran back to the car. Then when we were back at the car, that's when we stopped running. We were surrounded by a dozen Strigoi and their leader. Tasha.

**So! Another cliffhanger! I know, I'm evil. Anyways, sorry for not updating for so long! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. **

**As a side note, I really hope this chapter can seriously get more reviews. There used to be like ten to twelve per chapter and now it's dropped to eight. I don't want to force people to write reviews, but it's kinda sad as a writer to not hear back from readers. So please review! Thank you very much!**


	24. Chapter 24: Wedding Arrangements!

**So, here's chapter 24! Thanks to olivia williams, roseskyangel, bloodyXfangs, snowgoose, Nicia, , klaus-is-epic, loventherussian17, Dimitris-number-1, Reenabernadette, and MarianneNorthmanCullen for all the lovely reviews. **

**This chapter is dedicated to loventherussian17 for her utmost kindest review. You really made my day so I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or this plot. I only own Annabelle, the puppy, and Damien.**

**Chapter 24**

"Tasha…" I looked at Dimitri as he purposefully pushed me behind him. Tasha wouldn't dare hurt Dimitri so using that as an advantage, he made himself my shield.

"So did you like my little gift I left back at the school? Quite the mess, wasn't it, Rosemarie?" She gloated. I clenched my fist, but Dimitri held my hand from the back.

_Don't give into the darkness. You know what's going to happen if you do._

He sent me a telepathic message. I looked at him. "Just stay calm," he whispered.

"What do you want, Tasha?" Dimitri asked vehemently.

"Oh, you know. You with me, that bitch dead, and maybe the world too," She spoke sarcastically. "Dimka, you should come with me. You know, it's actually not too bad being immortal. I was wrong to think badly of it after Christian's parents turned by choice,"

"Take that back!" I yelled. Dimitri pushed me back quickly.

"Roza, this is one of those moments where I need you to be quiet," He instructed me. I gave him a doubtful glance.

"No, this isn't. I'm not afraid of her! I'm not a coward! I don't need to be protected all the time. I'm sick of being the weak one. I can kill them and you know that!" Dimitri gave me a smile.

"I have no doubt you can. But now is not the time," He told me. Tasha gave us an annoyed glance.

"I don't care!" When the clock struck midnight, my dark powers flared. I gave a growl before I went onto all four, transforming into my wolf form. I growled menacingly.

"Kill her," Tasha commanded.

_Shadow Blitz!_

A dark aura surrounded me as I ran and tackled the Strigoi. After each tackle, I bit their necks and flung them into light poles. But I could only take care of one at a time. I tried to tackle each one and let Dimitri stake them. After each kill, my fangs sharpened and my powers increased. Before I knew it, I went out on an all blitz attack. No longer did I just head butt and tackle them, I also clawed them and ripped them apart. When I turned around, I saw Alex, the puppy try to help. I quickly grabbed it by the scruff of its neck when a Strigoi almost killed it. But just as I did, a Strigoi jumped me and bit my neck. I roared and Dimitri pulled him off me.

"Roza!" I stumbled a bit, fazed for a second. Angry as hell, I growled and my mouth suddenly filled with a dark power.

_Dark flamethrower!_

Suddenly, I was breathing fire. However, it wasn't the normal red colored fire. This fire was purple with black edges. But nonetheless, it was able to take down the rest of the Strigoi. Then it was only Tasha. I put Alex down and growled at Tasha. She scoffed and then got into an attack position. Dimitri stopped me from fighting.

"It's not worth it. You're wounded," He told me. "Tasha, you've lost. Give it up. Go home,"

"I won't stop until she's dead," She charged at Dimitri but as she came at him, Dimitri's eyes glowed blue and as he put his hand out, almost like to stop her, Tasha collided into a barrier.

"I said go home, Tasha," Dimitri growled at her. When the barrier came down, Tasha tried to strike Dimitri. But, somehow anticipating it, Dimitri took Tasha by her cloak and threw her far away from me. "GO. HOME," He yelled at this point. Tasha, smart enough to finally get the point, fled. Then as he turned to me, I felt the Strigoi bite still. Somehow it reacted with my power and unraveled my transformation. Instead of having my blood drained, it felt different. It felt like a poison had been injected into me, causing my body to be numb. I collapsed to the ground and Alex came to lick my wound.

"S…stop…Alex…" I whispered as the poison felt like it was spreading when in fact it was being drawn out by Alex. He kept licking me until he barked happily. Suddenly, my body felt fine again and I touched the wound. It was gone. Dimitri smiled at me.

"Alex…isn't an ordinary puppy. Apparently the old lady is friends with my grandmother. And since my grandmother is psychic, she knew we would need help. This puppy was specially raised as a guard dog for Moroi. They can heal and fight when need be. That lady explained everything to me after seeing how the dog somehow just "clicked" with you," I looked at Alex.

"Thank you, Alex," The puppy wagged its tail happily and gave a couple of barks.

"Does it still hurt?" Dimitri asked, still concerned.

"No, not really. There's just like a numbing feeling," Dimitri picked me up into his arms.

"Come on. This is enough for one day. Let's go home," He placed me into the passenger seat as he got in to drive.

"Um…Dimitri?"

"Hm?" He kept driving.

"We probably should keep this whole incident a secret and away from Vladmir," I told him. He simply chuckled.

"My thought exactly. He would kill us if he found out. When we get back, we're heading straight back to the dorm. And if we run into him and he manages to find out, I'll send you to my room and take care of the rest, alright?" I nodded. That was probably a smart move since Dimitri's size was the only thing that could be compared to Vladmir. When we got back to the school, the students were already asleep. It was weird since in Russia, they went by the human schedule rather than the normal vampire world schedule. After parking the car, we headed back to the dormitory. It seemed that the coast was clear. Vladmir was nowhere to be seen. Or at least we thought so, up until we got to Dimitri's room where Vladmir was waiting for us, not exactly happy either.

"Apparently the two of you ran into some trouble," He stated. _'How did he find out?'_ Dimitri gave me a signal to head into the room.

"Rose, stay where you are," He commanded. "It's past midnight. What happened?" He asked Dimitri, almost like it was an interrogation.

"Roza, go to bed," I was stuck between them. "It'll be alright. I'll be okay," Dimitri turned around to kiss my forehead. Tears welled in my eyes. "Shh…everything is going to be okay," I nodded and headed inside. When I closed the door, I stayed quiet. No one was saying anything so I dimmed the lights to throw them off.

"What happened, Belikov? Answer me, right now," I heard Vladmir growl.

"Tasha happened. She came and attacked us," Dimitri answered straightforwardly.

"Was it after midnight?" Vladmir asked back, just as harshly.

"Yeah…" Suddenly I felt the wall rumble.

"I told you to bring her back before midnight," Suddenly the wall rumbled again and I heard Dimitri grunt in pain. Vladmir was pissed and I was afraid to stop him. _'Go out there and fight for Dimitri. Stop being a coward!'_ I told myself. But nothing happened. I curled up as I heard Dimitri get thrown around. I covered my ears, but even that didn't work. Finally, I went back out to the hallway and saw Dimitri on the floor with Vladmir throwing punches at him. "You promised me!" Vladmir looked ready to kick Dimitri. His eyes were filled with darkness. The power we shared had manifested in him since it was already after midnight. I quickly covered Dimitri as my wings expanded, forming a shield. I closed my eyes tight, waiting for Vladmir to kick me instead, but nothing happened. My wings covered the two of us as I looked at Dimitri, his lip cut and some few other cuts on his arms.

"Shh…it's okay," Dimitri still tried to soothe me, even after I gave him a horrified look. "You should've gone to bed. Why…are you still up?" I didn't answer him. I just kept shaking my head as I cried. "Hey, I'm okay. Just a few cuts and bruises. I'll be fine…" He coughed up a bit of blood. I hugged him tight, not getting off of him.

"Rose, move off of him," I heard Vladmir's voice, but didn't answer. "Rose, get off of him," Vladmir repeated in a firmer voice.

"It's alright, Rose. You can get off of me," Dimitri whispered. I shook my head.

"Vladmir, stop right there," I quickly turned and saw Damien and Anna. I sighed in relief.

"He knows what he did was wrong. You stop there. You don't beat the hell out of him, Vladmir. You know Rose loves him!" Vladmir looked back at Dimitri with anger.

"I'll give you a second chance. Don't make me regret it," Vladmir walked off. Anna quickly came to us.

"Sorry about that," She told us. I was shaking, but trying so hard to defend him. Damien came to me and hugged me.

"Sowwy," Damien told me too. I got up, but collapsed onto my knees as they shook. Dimitri helped me up and brought me back to our room.

"Dimitri, why don't you get fixed up at the infirmary? I think the doctor is still there. She doesn't leave till one in the morning," Dimitri nodded at Anna's suggestion.

"Of course, m'lady," Anna smiled and headed off with Damien. "Rose, go to bed. I'll be okay now," I shook my head. I refused to leave him. "So you'll follow me to the infirmary?" He looked at my arm.

"We should probably get the cast removed. You seem fine now," He picked me up and grunted in pain a bit. I squirmed to get off him. "No, it's alright. I just want to hold you," I rested my head on his shoulder as we headed towards the infirmary. Alex came with us. When we went to the infirmary, Dr. Olendski looked at us with surprise.

"Wow. For once, it's actually Guardian Belikov who needs the bandaging. Rose? I'm assuming you're here to get the cast removed," I nodded. "Lady Anna called just now saying the two of you would be heading here. I'll help Dimitri first, then we'll remove your cast afterwards," I followed Dimitri as he sat on a stool. "Guardian Belikov, take off your shirt so I can check for any other wounds," Dimitri let me hold his shirt. He had a bruise forming on his torso.

"I'm so sorry…" Dimitri looked at me.

"This isn't your fault. Rose, don't blame yourself," I shook my head, crying into his shirt that I held onto almost for dear life.

"My, it seems her mental state is worse than your physical state," Olendski pet my head a bit.

"Rose, dear, he'll be okay. Nothing's broken," The images of Vladmir's wrath burned in my mind. When Dr. Olendski tried to touch me again, I pushed her away, startling her a bit.

"She's just scared. I don't think she's seen Vladmir ever lose it like that before," Dimitri spoke up quietly. Dimitri came to me and hugged me after he was bandaged.

"I'll be okay. Come on, you need to get your cast removed," He took my arm with the cast on it. I flinched. "Rose, do you want to remove it?" I shook my head now. After seeing everything happen within the last few minutes, it was like the confidence was snuffed right out of me. "Sorry. How about I bring her in tomorrow? I don't think she can take much more,"

"That is absolutely alright," Dr. Olendski smiled. "Rose, everything will be okay," She reassured me. Dimitri picked me up into his arms as he let me cry.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Dimitri told me. I couldn't answer him. When we got back to our room, he quickly tucked me into bed. "We have a lot of things to do tomorrow. Get some rest," I quickly closed my eyes. I heard Dimitri take off his shirt again and get into bed with me. He held me close to him and the last thing I heard before falling asleep was his heartbeat beating constantly, yet softly.

_Next morning…_

"Rose? It's time to wake up," I forced myself to open my eyes. When I sat up, I saw the alarm clock. _'It's 9 AM.'_ I looked at Dimitri and yawned. "Are you okay now?" Dimitri asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" I muttered. He ignored my statement and got dressed. Because I was nowhere near fully conscious at the moment, Dimitri picked out a dress for me to wear. It was a sleeveless Ralph Lauren dress that I had from awhile back. I've just never really worn it because it was too "nice" for my taste. But nonetheless, for him, I put it on. Ironically, it still fit me. He also gave me some flip-flops that somewhat matched with the dress. When I finally got into gear and got ready, we headed to the cafeteria first for breakfast. Students were still chatting away since today the first class didn't start until 10 AM due to teacher meetings. Dimitri was nice enough to take a day off for wedding planning. This time we were seated among the students, but still had a table of our own. I saw Lissa and Christian walking in and saw them look at me. I quickly looked away. If Lissa was going to take all my friends, so be it. All I really needed was Dimitri. When we were done eating, I quickly left with Dimitri following behind me.

"Don't let it get to you," He told me.

"I know. I'll be okay," I told him. I got my cast removed before we headed for the parking garage and took the same car we took yesterday. Because it was raining, the hood was up this time. I stared outside as Dimitri drove, the pitter-patter of the rain slightly soothing.

"Something on your mind?" He asked. I didn't answer. "Rose, answer me. Is something on your mind? I know that look on your face. It's not particularly a good one either," I sighed.

"No...I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm just tired. I'm still not too used to waking up according to the human time," He gave me a skeptical look but nodded anyhow.

"Uh…huh…" I looked at him. He knew I was lying. But the thing was, I didn't even known what I was lying about. Something was just bugging me and that was it. Even I didn't know what's bugging me. After what seemed like a decent half hour in the car, we finally arrived at the shopping mall.

"Come on, out of the car," He ushered me. I got out and he took my hand the minute he got the chance. It was nice. Dimitri and I were finally going to get our wedding engagement rings and all that. To say I was excited was probably an understatement. Finally I made a dash for the mall, dragging Dimitri with me.

"Woah, little missy," He spoke in a cowboy accent. I smiled at him.

"Well, try to keep up then, cowboy," I faked an accent. He chuckled.

"You have a terrible southern accent," He bluntly said.

"Says the Russian with an accent still," He whacked my head. "Ouch…" When we entered the mall, it was gigantic. "So where are we getting the engagement rings?" I asked. The look on his face said he was going to make me work a bit for the answer.

"It's a secret. Just wait," Ah, patience is a virtue. Another subtle yet still, a Zen life lesson from Dimitri. We walked together as he directed me there. There were a few jewelry stores so I just had to wait.

"Ah, here it is," I looked at the store name.

"Kay's Jewelry…huh. Every kiss begins with Kay," I sang out the commercial jingle. When we walked in, the jewelers smiled as we walked in.

"Are you Mr. Belikov?" One of the store workers asked. Dimitri nodded. "Great. We have it here in a special place. And you already paid early so you can examine it first before putting it on that lovely young girl," Dimitri chuckled.

"Alright," He waited as the worker went to go get it. I paced back and forth. "Nervous much? Rose, it's just a ring," I smiled at him. When the man came out, he had a mini blue felt box. When he opened it, I saw it. My jaw dropped.

"Dimitri! That's too expensive!" I complained. I saw the tag dangling. It was well worth $5000. And this wasn't in the Russian currency. This was legitimately $5000 in US dollars, actually $4799.99, but included with tax and what not, there was a 5K ring right in front of me.

"It's fine. I already bought it," He kissed me.

"Your boyfriend chose a very lovely ring for you. It is a Tolkowsky 14K White Gold Solitaire Ring with a 3/4 Carat Diamond. He also engraved your name into it," I took the ring and saw the inside with the words, "The love of my life, Roza." I hugged Dimitri as he kissed my forehead.

"I'm glad you like it. If I may," He took the box and the ring. Slowly, he got the ring out. "Rose, will you marry me?" He asked. I turned away.

"Rose?" Tears welled in my eyes and I couldn't answer.

"I can't answer…" I started sniffling.

"Why not?" He asked, concerned.

"Because I'll start crying," Then again, it wasn't like I wasn't already. He laughed and held me.

"Then shake your head for me," I nodded as much as I could. He kissed me and slipped on the ring.

"I love you…so much," I whispered in his ear.

"I love you too, Roza," The people at the store started clapping, some of which actually cried too. "We should go now. We still have to get your wedding dress,"

"This early?" I asked.

"Just a fitting and choosing a design, that sort of stuff," He said. "They'll have the same order for us when we choose, back at the U.S. as well," I looked back at him, still trying to dry my eyes.

"Dimitri…?"

"Hm…?" He looked at me curiously.

"Can…can we have an American style wedding, but have it here? Particularly in Baia?" I asked. He smiled like a child who received the best present in the world.

"Are you serious? We can have it in the U.S. if you prefer. Baia's small and like you said, it's an artic wasteland," Dimitri's talking started to speed up.

"Is it?" I asked.

"No, but," He tried to change my mind.

"Then I won't have it any other way," I smiled at him as he hugged me and swung me around.

"Oh my god, Roza, I love you. I'll call my mom right now and tell her," He legitimately had a cell phone and started dialing. Then when his mother seemingly picked up, he was speaking in Russian at lightning speed. Suddenly when he put the cell phone on speaker phone, his mother screamed.

"Roza, darling, thank you so much!" She yelled through the phone.

"Haha…it's no problem, Mrs. Belikov," I told her.

"Oh, no need to be formal. You can just call me 'mom'," She laughed. _'Wow. I can call her mom.'_

"Ok…mom," I spoke up. God, it was awkward.

"That's a good girl. Now, I'm going to go tell the rest of the family. It's going to get busy from here on out, you two. Dimka, take care of her. I can tell she is a good girl for you," She warned Dimitri.

"Alright, mama. I'll talk to you later," After that, he hung up. "I can't believe we're having a wedding in my home town," He looked at me lovingly. I kissed him and without a second of hesitation, it turned pretty passionate.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now hosting a karoke competition. Whoever is voted the best will win ten thousand dollars! So come one, come all! This event will be hosted on the lower level of the shopping mall," The PA system announced. When I looked down from the railing, there was a giant group of people all waiting.

"Should we participate?" I asked Dimitri.

"I would go through hell or high water with you. A simple competition as this, we'll win. I assure you with that ring on your finger," I giggled.

"Come on then," I pulled him with me as we ran downstairs. Thank god I had my iPod with me. I knew a song that would just about secure the winning spot for us.

**So? How was this chapter? Rose and Dimitri are going to be singing. Please review and put in your ideas as for what song should be used. They will be singing two songs so start sending in ideas. The review number has gone up slightly. But only by very little. Everyone, please, keep up the reviews! Thanks so much!**


	25. Chapter 25: Us Against the World

**So here's chapter 25! Thanks to snowgoose, roseskyangel, bloodyXfangs, loventherussian17, MarianneNorthmanCullen, , edward-alexander-henry-angel, SassYNoles, Do'B, sherryangel, animebooklover14, and Marylou23 for the splendid reviews. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of VA or this plot except for a couple characters.**

**Chapter 25**

"Come on!" I took Dimitri as we ran to the first floor of the mall. "So who wants to give it a shot?" The announcer spoke up. I ran up.

"I will. Here," I handed them the iPod. "Play track number five. Dimitri, I'll go first by myself if you don't mind. This will be for you," I spoke into the microphone. The crowd cheered wildly. But within the crowd, the loudest cheer was Dimitri's. Even I started blushing. When the music started, I got into a dancing mood.

_You're the kind of friend who always bends when I'm broken_

_Like remember when _

_You took my heart and put it back together again_

_I've been wasting time with clueless guys _

_But now it's over_

_Let me tell you why_

_I'm through_

_I've met someone new_

_Who's just like you_

_You're it _

_You're the ultimate_

_It's automatic_

_I'm sure of it_

_No lie_

_So don't even try_

_To tell me that you're not the guy_

_Cause I've been waiting all my life_

_For someone just like you_

_But you're it_

_You're the ultimate, you_

I started dancing and smiling. It felt nice to sing. To be honest, if I was human, I would probably want to be a singer. When the song continued, I started to sing again.

_You're the kind of guy whose hands in mine send shivers up and down my spine_

_You took my heart and put it back together again._

_You're the kind of guy that blows my mind_

_But now it's my turn_

_You've been right in front of me_

_Everything I need_

_Why didn't I see_

_You're it_

_You're the ultimate_

_It's Automatic_

_I'm sure of it_

_No lie_

_So don't even try _

_To tell me that you're not the guy_

_Cause I've been waiting all my life_

_For someone just like you_

_But you're it_

_You're the ultimate, you_

When I paused, the crowd cheered wildly, starting to jump up and down to the beat. Dimitri simply smiled. But for me, that was more than enough.

_You're it_

_You're the ultimate_

_It's automatic_

_I'm sure of it_

_No lie_

_So don't even try_

_To tell me that you're not the guy_

_Cause I've been waiting all my life_

_For someone just like you_

_But you're it_

_You're the ultimate, you_

_You're it_

_You're the ultimate, you_

When I stopped and the song came to an end, Dimitri ran up stage to kiss me. I was caught off guard, but succumbed to his passion. The crowd awed and cheered at the same time.

"You think you can win? Think again," Dimitri told me.

"Oh, is this a challenge I hear?" I smirked.

"Guys, I think we have a karaoke battle between these two lovers!" The announcer riled up the crowd.

"You're on!" We said to each other at the same time. Dimitri took the mike from my hand, then looked at my iPod, choosing a song from it. There were some well worth him singing. _'Let's just see if he can find them.'_

"Ah. Play track eleven," He spoke confidently before smirking at me when I stood on stage. I gave him a certain gesture.

"Show me what you got, cowboy," I teased him. He pretended to tip a cowboy hat then started to sing with the song.

_I'm no superman_

_I can't take your hand_

_And fly you anywhere you want to go, yeah_

_I can't read your mind_

_Like a billboard sign_

_And tell you everything you want to hear_

_But I'll be your hero_

_Cause I, I can be everything you need_

_If you're the one for me_

_Like gravity_

_I'll be unstoppable_

_I, yeah_

_Believe in destiny_

_I maybe be an ordinary guy with heart and soul_

_But if you're the one for me_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one for me?_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_Could you be the one _

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one for me?_

_Then I'll be a hero_

I started to cry. It was touching. _'This is a competition. Since when was I so emotional?'_ He smirked. I lost. He had touched me and the song wasn't even over. I just smiled at him, flashing the ring to him. He continued to sing.

_Searching high and low_

_Trying every road_

_But if I see your face_

_How will I know, yeah_

_I'll put my trust in fate_

_That you will come my way _

_And if it's right_

_It's undeniable, yeah_

_I'll be your hero_

When he turned to look at me, his eyes were glowing blue and it entranced me. It was almost like compulsion as it drew me to him.

_I, I can be everything you need_

_If you're the one for me_

_Like gravity_

_I'll be unstoppable_

_I, yeah_

_Believe in destiny_

_I maybe an ordinary guy with heart and soul_

_But if you're the one for me_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one for me?_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one for me?_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_So incredible _

_Some kind of miracle_

_When it's meant to be_

_I'll become a hero, on_

_So I'll wait, wait, wait_

_Wait for you! _

_I'll be a hero_

I started to dance on stage with him as he twirled me around.

_I, I can be everything you need_

_If you're the one for me_

_Like gravity_

_I'll be unstoppable_

_I, yeah, _

_Believe in destiny_

_I maybe an ordinary guy with heart and soul_

_But if you're the one for me_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one for me?_

_Then I'll be a hero_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one_

_Could you be the one for me?_

_Then I'll be a hero._

He was panting, slightly worn out from singing with so much power, but it was enough to take my energy. The crowd cheered, but my knees had buckled.

"Rose!" My mind started to blank. Something was wrong. That power he used, it was so much like compulsion. I shook my head, trying to shake the feeling, but it was subduing my power. I looked at Dimitri and the blue glint stopped. My powers seemed to return. I would need to ask Vladmir when I get back just what the hell was going on. When I got up, the crowd cheered. Dimitri suddenly kissed me fiercely. "Come on. We have a wedding dress fitting to go to," He pulled me off stage as we ran off. _'Wow…totally feels like we're eloping.'_ When we got to the store, I admired all the dresses. I never thought there would be day I would be buying a wedding dress. Right as I entered, Dimitri's phone rang.

"You go and look around. I'll join you once I've taken this phone call," He looked at his phone worriedly. I gave him a confused look. "Go. I'll join you in a bit," It was obvious to me he was pushing me away. He didn't want me to hear or see who was calling me. It was a stupid idea, but I let him have his space. Nervously, and awkwardly, I walked into the store. Now, the dresses were not the focus of my attention. It was on whoever was calling. As much as I wanted to listen in, he had distanced himself too so I couldn't listen. When I turned to him, he waved and smiled to me. I waved back as he soon hung up, joining me to find a dress.

"So what was that about?" I asked. He didn't answer me.

"So did you find a dress you like?" He completely changed the subject. My heart hardened quickly.

"What was that phone call about? You can tell me," I asked him again suspiciously.

"Drop it, Rose. Now, did you find a dress or not?" I flinched at his words as he started looking through the dresses. When he turned to me, he saw the hurt he had caused. "I'm sorry. That was too much. It was just from the school about work. Don't worry about it. Come on, don't let this ruin the day," When he reached for me, I flinched from him. "Rose…come here," I went to him willingly and he held me lovingly in his arms. "I'm sorry. I was too harsh. Come on, go pick out a dress you like," I shook my head. "Rose?"

"Can we go get something to eat? I'm not in the mood," I told him.

"Rose…look, I'm sorry about what I said," He was getting desperate. "I didn't mean for it to come out that rudely. It's just…I don't want you to know just yet," He admitted. Suddenly I shuddered as an odd chill ran up and down my spine.

"Rose, is everything alright? Are you cold? Here, take my duster," He took it off and draped it over me as he sat me down.

"Are you feeling alright?" He felt my forehead. "You're slightly warm. How about we go home for today? I can't let you go around feeling sick," I nodded. To be honest, it wasn't about what he had said to me. Something happened when Dimitri accidentally triggered his power. It was short circuiting my powers, sending little shocks to my body now and then. It wasn't painful, just annoying. He picked me up; making sure the duster was still draped over me. As he walked though, my body became warmer and my breathing was heavy.

"Rose, stay with me," He tried to coax me to stay awake. Now, he wasn't walking, he was running me over to the car. Placing me in my seat quickly, he reclined my seat so I could sleep.

"Rose, were you not feeling well this morning already?" He asked suspiciously.

"I've just had a headache. It's not too bad…well, until now," It didn't take long before we were on the road back to the academy. My consciousness had faded in and out during the car ride. Every time I lost consciousness, Dimitri would shake me to keep me awake.

"We're almost there sweetheart," He would whisper to me over and over again. When we got back to the academy, it didn't take long to get Vladmir's attention as Dimitri rushed me to the infirmary.

"What the hell happened?" Vladmir asked, still harboring some hatred for Dimitri.

"Nothing on my behalf. We had a mini argument, but she said she had a headache this morning. Now it's turned into an all-out fever," Dimitri explained as Dr. Olendski examined me, while hooking me up to an IV. Vladmir quickly came to scan me using his spirit powers. When he came across my heart, he looked at me oddly.

"You seem fine. Maybe you're just sick in general, like a cold or something," A sharp pain came through my head as I winced. "Rose?" When I opened my eyes suddenly, the vision of Dimitri's eyes came back at me.

"Dimitri!" I looked at him and Dimitri was caught off guard. His eyes weren't blue though.

"Rose, did something happen when you guys were at the mall?" He placed his hand on my forehead, trying to read my mind. It didn't take long for him to find out. He sighed. "You'll be okay. When you guys were singing, Dimitri, you accidentally triggered my powers. The powers I gave you were for you to protect her with or if she ever got out of control, take her powers. Somehow, you used the latter part of it and drained her powers so much. That's why. You short-circuited her powers," Dimitri sighed.

"My fault again, I guess," He almost looked disappointed in himself, probably knowing he was going to get a second beating from Vladmir.

"Actually, no. It's my fault this time. I should have warned you. Just as Rose's powers emit from her emotions, so do yours. That was my bad. I apologize. I should have warned you guys earlier. When you were singing that song, it was quite passive compared to Rose's. Whenever you have the intent of calming her, if you're not careful, you'll take her powers. Only if there is a threat, then your protectiveness will kick in, giving you the ultimate defense," Vladmir explained. Dr. Olendski looked lost.

"So this means…?"

"It means, keep her on the IV until the fever breaks. Just like a normal cold, give her lots of fluid and make sure she's relaxed. That's all there is to it," Vladmir bowed before leaving the infirmary. Dimitri took a seat next to me, holding me hand.

"I'm so sorry," He apologized while kissing my hand.

"It's alright. Like Vladmir said, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know," He just brushed my hair aside.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. For now, just relax and get some rest. I have to go take care of some things, ok?" He got up, gave me a kiss and left the infirmary. Suddenly I sneezed.

"Bless you," He smiled before leaving. _'Damn this IV.'_ I had to see what was going on so I braced myself as I took the IV out. I snuck out in my nightgown that Dimitri had bought for me way back when since I always hated changing to pajamas. The students were still in class so I could care less that I was wandering the halls in my nightgown. I draped a light blanket over myself before I left. Following Dimitri's footsteps, he headed to the teacher's lounge. I followed him close by so that I could enter the teacher's lounge, but still have enough time to hide behind the door. The door was already open which made it a few steps easier for me to see what was going on. I shuddered as another chill went up my spine. _'Damn darkness.'_ I hid behind the door as I heard another few guardians come in.

"So what is this about?" I heard Dimitri speak up. "You said that there were Strigoi on the move nearby. And?"

"And we need a team to spy on them. To see what's going on," That was the sound of Alberta. _'Wait, they wanted my Dimitri to spy on Strigoi?'_

"So who's in the team?" Dimitri asked.

"It will be comprised of Guardian Yuri, Guardian Belikov, Guardian Alto, and Nathan," I slid down against the wall. _'That's what this is all about…I…I can't let them…I can't let them do that!'_ Now, all I had in mind was running to Vladmir. _'Running again?'_ I stopped myself. If I left now, they would see me as clear as day.

"We have prepared these mini microphones and recorders that will be attached to your clothing that we have prepared for you guys. This mission is to be only held out for a couple of weeks. The only goal is to get as much info as you can. That is all. Dismissed," Alberta spoke up. I had to think of something quick. If I closed the door before anyone left, I would be busted, but that would give me the opportunity to cause enough chaos and keep Dimitri from leaving. The other choice I saw was just to let them walk free and then talk to Dimitri personally. Problem with the latter choice was that Dimitri in no way would rebel against his manager so to speak. As I heard the other guardians leave, I noticed Dimitri stayed behind.

"With all due respect, Guardian Petrov, it's not a good idea for me to leave," Dimitri spoke up again.

"And why is that?"

"Rose just came back with me from the mall and I short-circuited her powers. She's in the infirmary at the moment and I don't think I should leave her side," Dimitri tried to persuade Alberta.

"Couldn't Vladmir take care of her for two weeks? He knows her better than you know her with her powers. And if you said you short-circuited her powers, isn't that an even better reason to distance herself so nothing of that sort happens again. She'll have time to recover when you're gone," I started growling quietly. My anger raged within me, but I still didn't move.

"Belikov, I don't think this is a choice that you have. I got this from one of the lords as a special request. You know I can't deny it. That's why maybe it's not a good idea for you to be in a relationship so soon with Rose. I know you guys are engaged, but this might hurt her in the long run. Have you ever considered what would happen to Rose if you get another mission like this, except longer in the future?" I was shocked. _'Was Alberta against our relationship all along? There's no way…but…'_

"This isn't about the mission Alberta. Is it something about Rose?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes, it is. The Strigoi…they're extremely closeby," She reiterated.

"You said that. So what's different?" Dimitri asked back.

"They're after Rose and her powers. Like you said, she's weak at the moment which means we need to be prepared for any advanced attack," I noticed both of the them were facing the opposite direction from the door so I took my chance now to close the door quietly and catch them off guard. A sharper shock went through me and I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out. I leaned against the door to try to regain any strength to stand up. Problem was, I felt absolutely nothing. Dimitri was pissed and it reflected in his powers. He was growing angry because I could tell he had every intent to stay with me, but Alberta kept giving him all these stupid answers.

"I can't go! You know Rose wouldn't allow it to happen!" Dimitri yelled.

"Then it's an order!" Alberta yelled back. "I didn't want it to happen, Belikov. Things just happen! We put ourselves before the Moroi to protect them. That's the job of a guardian," Alberta reminded him. I winced at the statement. I've always hated it. It was so binding.

"Alberta, I don't mean to be rude, but I can't follow that order. I love Rose and I promised her months ago that I would always protect her. I would always stay by her side. She needs me. And you know that!" Dimitri yelled at this point. "I can't betray the little trust she has left in me. She is weak. I'll admit that. But her will to fight is strong. She took down a dozen Strigoi the other day by herself. She can fight and I will stand by her to protect her! You can't change that. Nothing in the world can! I love her and I will not be apart from her," Dimitri declared his love for me out in the open. I tried to force myself to stand even though if I couldn't tell if I was on level floor or not.

"Then I can strip you of your guardian status. Belikov, I don't want to do that to you!" Alberta protested.

"Then do it. I've been preparing myself for this day for a long time. If I have to throw away my title, so be it. But my heart, body, and soul belong to her. Nothing you say or do can change that," He restated.

"Then I'm sorry. I'll have to relieve you-" I intervened at this point.

"JUST STOP ALREADY!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face from sadness, anger, emotional pain as well as physical pain. The two of them turned, startled. I slid against the door as I couldn't keep myself standing.

"ROZA!" Dimitri helped me up. "How long have you been listening? Can you stand? Should I call Vladmir?" He was now devoted to me.

"I heard the whole thing. No, I can't stand. And you probably should get Vladmir down at the infirmary soon," I told him before kissing him. "Thank you," He kissed my cheek and picked me up so that I was sitting on his arms as he held me like a child.

"Miss Hathaway, you know I didn't want to do this," My powers bubbled causing a transformation in my eyes and fangs.

"You strip him of his rank, and I will kill you with no question," I growled.

"Rose…" She looked straight into my eyes. "Fine, I'll change it. But this is to be kept between the three of us. I'll try to get some other guardian in place of Belikov. Is this clear, Rose?" I nodded. All my strength finally was drained and I fell out of Dimitri's arms.

"Rose! Hang on! Vladmir, get down to the teacher's room, now!" Within seconds, Vladmir burst in. Dimitri laid me down on the floor as Vladmir sent his powers through me. I coughed up blood and breathing became painful.

"You'll be okay! Just hang on, Rose!" I felt Vladmir trying to push his energy in. Finally in one go, my body arched up and slumped to the floor as my body regained the much needed energy from Vladmir. I was conscious. That much, I knew.

"We have to get her back to the infirmary, now," Dimitri carried me on his back as Alberta and Vladmir came along. I was quickly reattached to the IV and had an oxygen mask now. I was weak from the near death experience and coughed.

"Shh…everything's going to be alright now. You're safe…" Dimitri held my hand tight and gave it a squeeze. Alberta quickly drenched a towel with cold water and laid it on my forehead. It was comforting. Alberta quickly notified Olendski of the situation, but Olendski just frowned at me. I turned the other direction.

"Careful of the IV," Dimitri turned me to him so that I was still on my side, but my arm with the attached IV was on his lap. He rubbed gently on my arm to distract me. "Are you scared?" He whispered to me. I nodded slightly. Dimitri pulled the covers over me more and kept comforting me.

"You're going to be okay. Just keep your eyes on me if you're scared. I'm not going anywhere. Trust me," I closed my eyes. "Hey, don't fall asleep. You need to stay awake!" Dimitri exclaimed. I shook my head and laid it over his hand. "Rose!" After that, I blacked out.

**So, I hope you liked this chapter. It's definitely one of my longer ones. So you guys know what to do! Please review more! Thanks so much for all the support so far!**


	26. Chapter 26: Visions of the Future

**So! Chapter 26, here we go! Thanks to Twilighternproud, roseskyangel, loventherussian17, klaus-is-epic, , sherryangel, Dimitris-number-1, reenabernadette, Lil-Miss-Disaster, Do'B for all the lovely reviews! Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy and had a writer's block so forgive me! I will update more often now! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA or any of the characters!**

**Chapter 26**

"Hey now, stay awake," I felt Dimitri rock me a bit. I forced my eyes open. "I know you're tired, but if you pass out, I'll worry," I smiled weakly as I coughed a bit. "Shh…" Dr. Olendski came in.

"Guardian Petrov, if you may, I need to talk to Dimitri and Rose privately," Alberta nodded and left. My eyes closed again and Dimitri shook me. "No, let her sleep. She needs it more than ever,"

"Excuse me?" Dimitri asked.

"Ah, it's not too bad. Her powers just kind of short-circuited her. Rose, I'm afraid you should stop fighting for a while,"

"NO!" I sat up quickly. My head throbbed and I quickly laid down on Dimitri's lap, cringing a bit.

"I heard from Vladmir that you have something that helps," I glared at Dimitri, trying to warn him not to say anything. _'But since when did I have any power over him?'_

"That is true. Here," And out was the collar from his pocket. I turned away but Dimitri brought me to his arms.

"No more rebelling, Rose," He strictly commanded me. I twisted and turned, trying to get the collar from getting on me. "I said no more rebelling. Am I clear?" I nodded as he put it on. The rosary glowed and my powers seemed to balance out now. Vladmir came in, staring at me intensely.

"Rose, how are you feeling?" When I touched the rosary, it shocked my hand.

"You can't take it off. Only Dimitri and I have the power to do so. This'll keep you in control and out of harm's way," Vladmir told me. "So! If you try to take it off, Dimitri and I will know, so be a good girl," I snarled and snapped at him. Ha! That was a bad idea.

"SLAP!" I looked at Vladmir, shocked as hell. Fire burned in his eyes and I instantly knew he was enraged as is.

"Do not snap at me like that," He looked at Dimitri, bowed a little and left.

"Rose, are you okay?" I yanked on the rosary, but was shocked in return. "Rose, stop!" I stopped.

"Am I just like some pet to you?" I asked Dimitri.

"Of course not. We just need you to stay safe and recover in the meantime," He tried to calm me, but to no avail.

"I can fight! You know I can!" I got out of the bed now.

"Roza…I know you can. But I don't want you hurt. Can you try to understand that much at least?" He used my Russian nickname again.

"No! I don't want to understand that! I'm eighteen already! I'm not some child to be babied!" My eyes turned into slits as things around me grew sharper. I snarled and my feral transformation kicked in. I saw him focus on the rosary as it started to drain my powers, but I kept supplying it nonetheless. If I could beat Dimitri, that would show that I was able to rebel back. Sure, I love Dimitri with all my heart, but I hate it more when he underestimates me. I didn't transform into a wolf, but my entire body was surrounded with darkness as my wings spread out.

"Rose…please, stop this already!" He tried to calm me again. I put my hands on the rosary and tried pulling at it. It didn't budge.

"Damn it!" A shock forced my hand back and I glared at Dimitri.

"Rose…don't fight it anymore. I'll take care of you. I promise," My transformation reverted itself slowly. I looked at my ring.

"You said you would marry me when I'm eighteen, right?" I asked him darkly.

"Yes. Why?" I took the ring off and threw it back at him. He caught it in his hand.

"Wha-"

"Apparently I'm not eighteen to you. You don't have a reason to marry me," I ran off.

"ROZA!" I ran, fast. Faster than I ever have. It wasn't so much that I had the collar that pissed me off. It was the fact that Dimitri didn't seem to have any confidence and trust in me at all. When I ran outside, I just screamed.

"MOM! I need you back! Please!" It had already started pouring. I looked up into the sky as my tears mixed with the rain.

"Roza! Please, come back inside!" I saw Dimitri at the school entrance. I shook my head.

"Sweetheart?" I turned to another voice, one that used the sweet compulsion on me.

"Papa…" I took off in a mad dash to find my dad.

"Rosemarie, over here," When I saw my dad come out of a black Cadillac, I ran to him.

"What are you doing out here?" He wrapped his arms around me as I cried.

"I want mom back! I want everything to be back to the way things were!" He stood in the rain with me and held me.

"I know, baby. I know…"

"Roza!" Dimitri finally ran out.

"Dimka, something wrong?" My dad asked. I turned to Dimitri and pushed him back.

"Roza…please…I'm sorry,"

"What happened? What did you do to her?" My dad flew into a rage and slammed Dimitri against the car.

"Nothing. She's just overreacting. I put a rosary on her by Vladmir's command to help keep control on her powers. She just thought I was babying her and became infuriated," I pushed him back again.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled at him.

"Kiz, look at me. Turn to me," I turned to my dad who reached behind my neck. He, with no effort, took off the rosary. I looked at him. _'Why is he helping me?'_

"Abe! She's supposed to have that on!" Dimitri retorted.

"She will. In due time, she will have it on. I'll make sure of it. This just isn't the time though. One thing that I've learned about Rose is that she needs to be herself. Restraining her, tying her down, ordering her, that's not something she appreciates. She may be eighteen, but to me, she's still a little girl. My little girl, at that. She'll run into problems, but she has to figure them out on her own. She'll come to realize that the rosary is needed. But you need her to find her own way to that solution. If not, she'll always think you're underestimating her. That's why she's so much like Janine," My dad stroked my cheek. "Is that better?" He handed me the rosary before petting me a bit and heading inside. "Now if you excuse me, I'd rather stay out of this lover's quarrel," He took his bags and headed inside.

"Rose?" When Dimitri approached me, I flinched.

"Shit…" I heard him curse under his breath. "Rose…I'm not going to hurt you. Calm down," Every step he took closer, every step I stepped away. When the roar of thunder crashed down, I flinched. "Damn it!"

'_Rose, I'm not going to hurt you. Come over here already.'_

I gave him a wary look. Instead of going to him, I turned back and headed back into the school, but not to him. Sure, I know I was probably being a bitch to him, but the one thing that I hate the most is being underestimated and surely he was doing just that. When I ran back to our room, I looked behind me. There was no one. When I looked out the window, there he was, gazing at me. I opened the window and started singing.

_Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation_

_Darkness stirs and wakes imagination_

_Silently the senses abandon their defenses_

Dimitri studied me carefully.

_Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor_

_Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender_

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day_

_Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light _

_And listen to the music of the night_

Dimitri walked to my window and climbed up a tree to the balcony. There, he started singing too.

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams_

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before_

_Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar_

_And you live as you've never lived before._

We started to sing together now.

_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you_

_Hear it, feel it secretly possess you_

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind_

_In this darkness that you know you cannot fight _

_The darkness of the music of the night_

I sung this portion by myself, leaving the rest to him.

_Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world _

_Leave all thought of the life you knew before_

_Let your soul take you where you long to be_

_Only then can you belong to me_

He touched my cheek, stained by tears and sung to me.

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation_

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power to the music of the night_

_You alone can make my song take flight _

_Help me make the music of the night_

I pulled him up into the room. As he came into the room, he closed the window.

"Rose?" I slowly walked to him. He came at me and kissed me with utmost gentleness. I looked at him carefully, but turned away eventually. "Rose! What can I do to make it up to you?" He asked quickly. I pointed him to a card that I had written before I left the room.

"The ball is tonight. Your chance is there," I left the room and closed the door behind me. My aura enraptured me and my appearance had transformed. My hair unraveled as it turned to a silk black color and a dark black and purple dress appeared on me. Before I headed to the ball for the royals, I sang to myself once more. Dimitri's task was given. It was only up to him to see if it could be fulfilled.

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation_

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power to the music of the night_

_You alone can make my song take flight_

_Help me make the music of the night_

Before I walked into the ballroom where everyone else was, my wings expanded as I barged in. Everyone gasped. "It's the angel of darkness!" Everyone stood aside as I came in. "Guardians!" All the guardians surrounded me since they had no recognition of this figure. The guardians pulled out their stakes. When I waved my hand in front of them, they were struck at with a wild force of darkness.

"Roza!" Dimitri ran in right on time.

"That's Rose? Can't be. She's…" I heard the murmurs and laughed.

"This is reality, Dimitri! This is who I am! Show me your compassion, your lust for this! Show me you can fix this," I yelled out in the crowd.

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication_

_Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation_

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in_

_To the power of the music that I write_

_The power to the music of the night_

He approached me with caution and people gasped as he walked closer to me.

"The task was to save you," He whispered in my ear. "Love, I will fight to the bitter end if I have to in order to have you in my arms," He brushed my hair back before kissing me. "Roza, I will love you, always. There's no more need to be afraid. I'll be here with you," I relaxed in his hold as we swayed a bit. "Relax…" He whispered into my ear. Vladmir suddenly barged in. When he saw me he pulled me away from Dimitri.

"You destroyed one man. I won't let you destroy another. Give Rose back to me," He snarled. I looked at Dimitri. "Look at me. You are not Rose. Let Rose go," I smirked and transformed back. "Rose, listen to me. You must not ever do that again. The angel of darkness is a dangerous person to play with and use. Do not let her out again like that unless you are in grave peril. Understand?" Vladmir took my hand and gave me back to Dimitri before storming out.

"Hey, are you okay?" Dimitri looked at me as I glared at Vladmir. I ran to him and pushed him hard. He quickly turned back to me.

"Why do you order me around so much?" I finally yelled at him.

"That's not for you to know," He continued to walk away. I cut him off.

"Is it so fun for you to see me being treated as like a lab rat for you? I don't know how to control my powers so I try to see what I can do. But the minute I do, you stop me. Just why are you caring so much. You were supposed to teach me how to use these powers, but the minute I do something stupid you stop," He looked into my eyes before hugging me.

"Shh…listen to me. I mean no harm to you though you may think it. Just believe in me. The angel of darkness is not for now. I will let you know when the time is right," He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before leaving.

"Rose!" Dimitri ran over to me as I saw Vladmir walk off.

"Forget it then!" I yelled to Vladmir as he kept walking. Suddenly he paused and walked back.

"Dimitri, go back to chaperone the ball. I need to talk to her," Vladmir held my hand tight and I looked at him worriedly. Dimitri looked at me to make sure if I was alright too.

"Sure…just return her to me when you guys are finished," I headed off with Vladmir. At first it was silent, but when we entered the gym, he started to talk.

"Why are you acting like such a brat?" He finally yelled. He took the metal chair in the gym and threw it violently to the other end, startling me. "What the hell is getting to you?" He looked at me. As he took giant strides to me, he covered my eyes with his hand. "I want to see what you're seeing. There has to be something making you do this," I felt his presence in my mind and I knew what he was trying to find so I threw everything I could in his way, all my happy memories. But he was getting close, really close. "Let me in, Rose," He commanded me. I shook my head. Finally I pushed him back, and sank to my knees as I collapsed.

"I can't!" I yelled back.

"Why? Why not?" He yelled back just as harshly.

"Because I don't trust you!" I finally admitted. He was silenced now. I looked at him while tears stung my eyes.

"Then tell me what you see then. You know my secret, don't you. You entered my mind a long time ago by accident," I nodded.

"Say it," He told me.

"You're a Strigoi," I told him.

"Exactly. I was sent as a Strigoi, but only for immortality reasons until you can take care of things on your own. But that's not what's bugging you. So tell me what it is. Is it Lady Ozera?" He asked. "Are you afraid that she's going to take Dimitri away from you? What is it? I can't help you if you can't tell me!" He scolded me as I looked away.

"Yell back, scream, do whatever you need to, but I will not let you leave this gym until you tell me what is wrong," He sat in the chair he threw. Now I had no idea what he was talking about. I went through everything I remembered to find something. I just about gave up. There was nothing. Finally a screech came to my head and I bent over screaming. "Rose!" He ran to me. "What's going on? Tell me!" Finally I opened my eyes.

"A dragon…a black dragon burning everything. It's a memory, a vision I got in the past. When I was little," I told him.

"Good. Keep going,"

"The dragon is covered by hatred, anger, and sadness," I explained quickly.

"Why is covered by those?" He asked, trying to delve deeper into my mind.

"Its' lover…turned into a Strigoi, turned evil, against it to protect it," I kept going.

"Who's the lover?" He pursued.

"The lover…a guy…tall…brown hair…" I stopped. "Dimitri…" Now everything came together.

"I'm the dragon that will destroy everything…" Vladmir held me quickly.

"That's bothering you? Rose, Dimitri loves you very much. I don't think he would leave just like that, even if it was to protect you. He would rather die trying then turn into a Strigoi," He explained. Suddenly the school alarm went off. "Attention all guardians and students, please return to your dorms as there have been sightings of Strigoi near campus!" It warned us. I looked at Vladmir and ran. "Rose, don't let it happen! If Dimitri knows you're with me, then he will do all he can to protect others. You cannot fight!" He ordered.

"Maybe he'll turn Strigoi, maybe he won't. But Vladmir, I love him, just as you love Anna. I have to go," I ran to find Dimitri.

**So! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Haha! New twist to things! Sorry for being so, so, so, late! I've been busy as hell and then had a writer's block. But no worries, now onwards!**

**Please review! Thanks! Keep it up! Sorry for the long wait again!**


	27. Chapter 27: Love, Morals, Reality

**So here's chapter 27! Thanks to Lil-Miss-Disaster, olivia williams, Twilighternproud, loventherussian17, SassYNoles, roseskyangel, , .BelikovxX for all the lovely reviews! Please try to keep it up! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA or any of the characters. **

**Chapter 27**

I don't think I've ever ran as fast as I have now. When I ran outside, Dimitri was already fighting. In fact, all the guardians were fighting. I used my wings to take flight. I had my sword out and attacked from air.

"Rose! You have to stay inside!" I heard Dimitri yell. I looked back at him and ignored him.

"Shadow ball!" I created a dark sphere and shot it at a couple of Strigoi, killing them instantly. Every now and then, I looked back to see if Dimitri was alright. For now, he seemed to hold his ground.

"Belikov! Behind you!" I looked and dove down, transforming into a wolf, grabbing the Strigoi and slamming him to the ground before biting his neck and snapping it. I growled menacingly and Dimitri looked at me.

"Now's not the time to stare, Dimitri!" He nodded and continued to fight. Alberta seemed to be fine as well as Nathan and Stan. _'Where did all these Strigoi come from though?'_ I tried to find a source of the attack and saw no one in particular. Even Tasha wasn't here. _'Is this just a random blitz attack?'_ I killed another few Strigoi before taking flight again. It was easier to see from above. As I got another vision, I stopped to read it. I seemed to have entered someone else's mind.

'_Save Belikov for me. I'll deal with him once you capture him. I need him alive.'_

I looked back at Dimitri as more Strigoi surrounded him.

"Oh no you don't!" I landed next to Dimitri, and grabbed his hands to protect him. "Shadow wave!" A wave of dark energy was emitted from me and the Strigoi were thrown quite a distance.

"Rose, please, take cover inside," He whispered to me. I looked at him.

"Dimitri…I can't do that," I flew above him.

"Why not?"

"Because you'll leave me," I told him. He grabbed my hand and looked at me.

"I will never leave you. What makes you think I'll leave you now?"

"Because I saw the future, Dimitri. This is your last battle and I'll die trying to change what I saw," I told him. Suddenly, I gave a roar and my body glowed. When I looked, my body changed into a dragon's form. I flew off, starting to breathe fire at the Strigoi. It was easy to wipe them out just like that. _'That's it. Destroy everything.'_ A voice whispered to me. I finally flew into a rage and started to destroy everything I saw. I roared again and lashed out at everyone, regardless guardians or Strigoi. "Someone subdue her!" Someone yelled. Dimitri rushed to me.

"Love, it's alright. Calm down! I'm okay!" I turned to see Dimitri but a Strigoi was close behind. "Rose, look at me. Even if anything happens, you are to stay here, alright. Do NOT go after me. Is that clear?" He yelled. I looked at him, not answering.

"Duck!" I roared at him before spitting a fireball at the Strigoi. When the smoke cleared, the Strigoi jumped from the cloud and tackled Dimitri. "Get off him!" I grabbed the Strigoi and threw him aside. I flew up into the sky.

"Shadow wave!" A denser wave of dark energy was emitted again and it threw off some balance from the Strigoi's side, allowing the guardians to kill more of them.

"Rose, calm down! You have to-" I turned to see why he stopped. A Strigoi had jumped him again, this time, already biting into his neck. I froze as Dimitri's lifeless body was thrown to another Strigoi. In fury, I radiated a heavy amount of energy. I roared and landed, chasing after the Strigoi who had taken Dimitri.

"Give him back!" I ran faster and faster, but the Strigoi was still quicker. "Vladmir!" I screamed.

My head throbbed and I collapsed screaming and crying. My mind couldn't register anymore of this nightmare. I thrashed and Vladmir finally got to me.

"Rose, calm down! Can you hear me? You need to calm down," I fought Vladmir, but he saw every move coming already and stopped each and every one. He held me in his arms carefully.

"We'll get him back. But you need to stop thrashing. It'll only hurt you more," I bit into his neck, the only thing I could think of. He brushed my hair calmingly as he took me aside of the battlefield. As I drank his blood, I kept sobbing.

"Shh…Rose, listen to me. We'll find him. I promise you that," He stroked my hair as I finally released my bite on him. He covered my ears and eyes and calmed me. When I regained my mind back, I stood up slowly.

"I have to find him. I can't stay here…" I walked off in a random direction.

"Rose, let me come with you. You can't go by yourself," I stopped him.

"You have to protect Anna and Damien. I'm going by myself and nothing you can do or say will change that. And that doesn't mean for you to try it," I felt Dimitri's presence and followed it. As I left school grounds, tears kept streaming down as I started to pick up speed, running now. It was Russia. I didn't know where I was or where I was going, but Dimitri's heartbeat had stopped and the only thing left was his scent. I was worn out from transforming and my sense of smell dulled out as I could barely focus on anything. My mind was taking me to Dimitri and wherever I was, that's where I would go. I had no plan, nothing in mind of what I was going to do afterwards. Dimitri was a Strigoi, I knew that much. But how fast would his personality change? Would I lose him by the time I saw him again? I don't even know where they took him. My heartbeat quickened. My mind told me to continue so I ran again. My wings grew out and I flew now. Slowly my hair changed color and I had turned into the Angel of Darkness once more. I searched and searched. _'I can show you where he is.' _A voice hissed. A necklace on me glowed and grew into some type of reflector. I saw Dimitri, now with red ringed eyes, attacking the Strigoi around him. I tried to smile, but I couldn't. It was sad and horrifying.

"Where is she?" He yelled at wherever he was. "Where is my love?" He ordered.

"She's on her way. Her scent is nearby," The necklace stopped projecting as I stopped flying. I was close. I quickly looked around and nothing was nearby. When I took another look around, there was a mansion, not far away. I entered without opening the gate and barged in.

"And the princess is here," They sneered. I reverted back, not realizing I had lost almost all my energy. I had no plan and I had no idea what I was doing. But I didn't care. Dimitri was Strigoi and even then I would not kill him. Just as he stayed by my side, I was going to stay next to him. If I could heal him somehow, that would only be a bonus. When I completely reverted back, I collapsed at the doorway as my head pounded. I finally collapsed completely as I fell unconscious.

_Few hours later…_

"Blasted headache," I groaned. As I opened my eyes, I saw a nicely decorated room. As I tried to get up, I saw chains on my wrists and feet. _'Damn.'_ I fought against them, but my powers had short circuited meaning that I was all on my own now. I relaxed on the bed and stopped struggling. I guess I deserved this. I gave myself a weak smile as I waited to see who would come in the doorway. Suddenly, Dimitri, now a Strigoi for real, barged in. He quickly came to me and broke the chains.

"Why are you here?" He demanded. I hugged him. Without question, he stroked my hair.

"Go back. I can't have you here," He warned me. I gave him a smile.

"What are you talking a-about D-dimitri? I'm staying here with you," I told him.

"YOU WILL NOT!" I flinched. I guess I had that coming too. Was I getting this predictable? "You have a chance to escape now. Do it!" He opened the door. I looked at the gap for my probably one and only escape but I had no intention of leaving. By now, I think my mind had given up its sanity to be with Dimitri. He meant the world to me and if my world is to be corrupted by evil then so be it.

"Would you rather I throw you out then?" He yelled again. I started to cry. "If you're not gone by the time I count to three, I'll throw you out," I stayed. "1…" I looked at his eyes. "2…" He grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the front door. "3…" He opened the door. "Do not look for me and do not come back. Stay with Vladmir where it's safe. The next time we meet, we'll be enemies, understand?" I didn't nod. He gave me a push to the door and slammed it behind me. I started to walk away but decided not to. He was doing this to protect me. He was underestimating me again. I scoffed and sat in front of the main door. I looked at my hands as snow started to fall. Was I crazy? I probably was. Was I being ignorant and stupid? That's a yes too. But my heart was beating because of Dimitri. My mind became blank. I couldn't think. I wasn't thinking. I would rather die than suffer like this. This was evil. The world had become a cruel and dark place for me within minutes. My eyes drooped as I felt my body grow numb from the cold. After what seemed to be an hour, I collapsed from the cold, still in front of the main door. Maybe death was better than this…

_Another couple of hours later…_

"Get her some blankets and someone make a fire in the fireplace! Now!" Someone yelled. "Rose, you better be stronger than this! You hear me?" I felt someone carry me to a really warm fire. "Come on, warm up already!" The same person yelled. "Damn it, wake up," I slowly opened my eyes. "There you go…" I looked to see Dimitri hovering above me. I turned to him and instead of pushing me away; he took the blankets and held me in his arms. "God, I thought you died. Why didn't you leave?" I nuzzled against him, content with what was happening. Tears trickled down my face and as I started to cry, he wiped the tears like he would normally do. "You know, if you stay here, I might hurt you," I tried to speak, but nothing came out, just like that one time I couldn't speak for a while. "Roza?" I signaled to him that my voice was thrown out the window. I got off him and simply laid my head on his lap. "Why won't you leave? Why do you want to stay with me?" I didn't answer him. I closed my eyes as my body shivered. "Hey, are you okay?" He felt my forehead. "Damn, your body temperature's dropping!" He placed me closer to the fire as I tried to rest. When I sneezed, he started to use blankets to rub them against me. "You'll get better…just try to stay warm," He almost started pleading. I curled up but nothing helped. Nearby, he had a hot water bottle and placed it under my shirt. "You're getting to a point where it's hypothermia so please try to warm up soon," He brushed my hair as he kept me company. Suddenly a red aura surrounded me and my body warmed up almost immediately. When I opened my eyes, I felt fine. "Don't get up yet," He tried to keep me down.

"No, I'm fine. Hey, my voice is back too," I looked around my body and my skin turned back to its normal color. I sneezed suddenly. Dimitri draped his duster over me.

"Careful."

"Why are you being so nice?" I looked at him warily. "I mean, you tried to kick me out a couple of hours ago,"

"Rose, you really shouldn't stay here, but knowing you, it won't change your mind even if I kicked you out a second time. But here's a warning. If I ever put your life in jeopardy, you are to leave instantly. I don't know how kind I can be by tomorrow or maybe the next day or-" I cut him off with a kiss. As he kissed back, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He hugged me back. To be honest, his cold skin wasn't bad. Just as things were getting heated though, he stopped us. I looked at him warily.

"No. Not when you're still weak," He got up to leave the lobby. I looked at him. He suddenly looked back at me. "I love you, Roza," I stood up but I stumbled. "Stay here. I'm getting you some food," I stayed close to the fire. It wasn't long until he returned. "Here's some chicken soup," He placed it on the floor. "Careful, it's hot,"

"Wow, you cook fast," I complimented him.

"Well, with the fast movements now and my mom's fast recipe, it's not hard," When I took a sip, I dropped the spoon.

"Hot!" He chuckled and I smiled a bit.

"Here," He took a sip from the spoon and kissed me, transferring it over. It cooled instantly. I giggled.

"Hey, Dimitri, are you going to stay here?" He gave me a serious look.

"I don't know. I want to come back, but I don't think I'd be accepted much,"

"I can change you back. It'll just take my powers away from me," I told him. He shook his head.

"No. Don't. We'll figure it along the way. Just make yourself at home at the moment," He petted my head. I drank the rest of my soup.

"Look at him, just babying her," I looked at the Strigoi who glared at us.

"Learn your place. I am the rightful leader. She is under my care, so you dare to touch even a strand of hair on her pretty little head, I will destroy you. Now go back to work!" The Strigoi grumbled and left.

"Wow…you're the leader already?" I asked him. He nodded.

"It wasn't hard to take out the leader first. I actually figured you would be coming so having a strong power over the rest of them could provide you a safe home in the meantime. Done with the soup?" I nodded and he took the bowl. Shortly after, I heard the sink turn on. I took my blanket and walked to him.

"Dimitri, please come back…" He looked at me worriedly.

"To be honest, I don't really want to return. I kind of like this new power," He clenched his hand into a fist.

"Please don't say that!" I jumped back from him. He just kept washing the bowl. When he was done, he put it on a rack and looked at me.

"Rose, I'll think about it. Just…I don't want to argue about it right now," He approached me and I backed away. "Rose…Roza…" I turned away and ran. I couldn't believe he was already speaking nonsense. When I ran out, I ran into a bunch of Strigoi who were all sneering and smirking. Now I realized the mistake I had made coming here. I shook my head. _'No, this can't be true…'_

"NO!" I screamed and a screech was heard. All the Strigoi withdrew immediately.

"R-Roza…c-calm down!" Dimitri grabbed my wrist and I pushed him back.

"NO!" Another screech was heard and even Dimitri withdrew. I stopped afterwards and Dimitri was the only one left in the room.

"Damn you can really scream," He finally grabbed my wrist and held me tight. "Shh…everything's going to be okay. There's no need to cry," I shook my head.

"Why won't you come back with me?" I finally yelled.

"Shh…we'll sort this out. Just don't scream…please," He begged, picking me up and rocking me a bit. "I'll figure this out. Why don't you get some rest? You've had a long day," I shook my head. I headed for the door. "Don't go outside, Roza. It's still cold. This is Russia, not the U.S." He warned me.

"I want to go outside…" I pointed to the door before heading out.

"Wait!" As I headed out, he stopped me.

"Roza, I forbid you to go outside. You'll get really sick if you do," I got him to let go. "Roza, come back!" I smiled to him as I headed to a tree. There, I jumped up into it. "Please don't play around. Come down already," I quickly made a snowball. "Oh, no you don't," I threw it at his face and he growled playfully. "You really shouldn't have done that!" He threw one back to me, causing me to lose balance in the tree.

"Shoot!" I wobbled before falling backwards. But before I hit the ground, he caught me.

"I told you so," He brought me back inside. Suddenly another screeching sound came through my mind and I pushed Dimitri back.

"Roza?" I snarled fiercely and shook my head.

"Stop it!" I screamed. He flinched and the transformation terminated automatically. "Dimitri…go back inside. I need to be out here. I'll hurt you if I go back inside," He shook his head.

"I'm staying with you. Whatever you're going through, I'll help you," I suddenly snarled again.

"Easy, Rose!" I saw Vladmir at the doorway with his magic around him. I fell back against a tree as Vladmir came to check my pulse.

"You can't stay here. You have to come back with me," Vladmir told me. I shook my head. Dimitri came to me, but I pushed him back, roaring at him. Vladmir placed a hand on my forehead and soothed me a bit. "There's nothing to be scared of. I won't hurt you," The screeching stopped and I relaxed.

"What's wrong with her?" Dimitri asked.

"To be honest, nothing actually. She's just very stressed and scared. What happened the last few hours should not happen to anyone, especially someone with her condition. Mind if I come inside? I'll tuck her into bed if you don't mind," Vladmir asked, picking me up into his arms. Dimitri led the way to my room. As Vladmir walked, I sneezed.

"Roza…I told you not to go outside…" Dimitri spoke up as we walked quietly.

"She's a bit warm…" Vladmir stated.

"Of course. She had hypothermia earlier that it scared me. If she's actually warm, that's a good thing at this point," As Vladmir put me down, he started to heal me.

"Dimitri…I know I'm pretty harsh to her, as well as you, but I really will beg of you to come back. Rose is relentless on this. She won't listen to me as long as you're gone. She'll stay here with you. You still haven't adjusted to being a Strigoi so the reverting will be quick and easy," I sat up but Dimitri held me down.

"You shouldn't move. Just take it easy," Dimitri tried to keep me still.

"So? You should probably decide here and now while you still have the chance," I saw Dimitri look at me and I tried to look back, but it wasn't helping since my vision blurred at this point.

"Fine. Rose, I'm coming home, just hang on," A red aura surrounded me. I saw Vladmir touch Dimitri's forehead as Dimitri glowed. When the glowing stopped, Dimitri was already back to normal.

"How does it feel?"

"No different to be honest. Rose, look, I'm back to-"

"ROSE!" Vladmir quickly ran to me as my temperature rose past anything before.

"I thought you healed her!" Dimitri yelled.

"I don't know what's wrong…something's bothering her then. She's not pregnant which I know for sure. You said she had hypothermia?" Vladmir asked.

"Yeah…why is she burning up?"

"It has something to do with her powers. Stress…did something happen before I got here?" Vladmir asked.

"Yeah. She was surrounded by Strigoi at one point earlier and she went into a meltdown mode,"

"Then that's why. It's her defense system. Because the Strigoi are afraid of fire, her body is trying to duplicate heat. I just need to calm her down. Or can you do it?" Dimitri took me into his arms and rocked me a bit.

"Shh…it's alright. Everything's going to be alright. Don't worry…I'm here. Nothing's going to happen to you. No need to be alert. I've got you," When Dimitri's scent hit me, I calmed down and my temperature dropped back to normal. "There you go…that's a good Roza. Come on, let's leave while we can. I'll carry her," Dimitri picked me up quickly again, draping his duster over me. We left quickly and somehow without the Strigoi realizing it, we left the mansion.

"Here, I know a faster way to get back," Vladmir took a sword he carried and swung down on it. It created some sort of rift as we all jumped in. On the other side of the rift, was the school as it closed behind us.

"Come on, let's get her to the infirmary now," Dimitri ran me in as my eyes drooped. "Don't go to sleep, Roza," He shook me to keep me awake. I shuddered, but my eyes couldn't stay open any longer. Nonetheless, my eyes closed and the only thing I could rely on was my hearing. I could hear cluttering and running around. Then as a cool towel was placed on me, a hand held onto me as I gripped it tightly.

"She'll be fine with a good long rest. Guardian Belikov, you've also had a rough day turning Strigoi and back. Why don't I set up a bed next to her so you guys can be together? I'm sure Rose would appreciate that," As the lights dimmed, my body seemed to finally relax.

"Shh…you can sleep now," Someone's hand brushed over my hair.

"I'll be in my office if any one of you two need me. For tonight, stay here and just relax," The lights finally dimmed and my mind was at ease as I slept.

"Goodnight…my love,"

**Wow, so Dimitri and Rose had a rough day. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please review!**

**As for something that's come into question recently. Rose is not pregnant. Not yet, she will be later in the story, but you'll see how that comes to. For now, her powers have been just been going wild. **

**Also! I'm really sorry for not updating recently as fast as I used to. I have one week of high school left so I'm busy studying for finals and what not. I've also had to finish up two recitals, one for piano, the other for the clarinet so I've been busy. Once summer starts, things should be updated faster! Thanks for sticking with the story so far! I really appreciate all the reviews so review more!**


	28. Chapter 28: I'm Not Weak!

**So here's chapter 28! Thanks to SassYNoles, loventherussian17, Twilighternproud, Lil-Miss-Disaster, roseskyangel, Dani0515, , and MissCelineXx for the amazing reviews!**

**On the other hand, I recently got out of a writer's block so please review more! Any ideas or guesses on what you guys want to happen? Write them in! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA or any of the characters except for a few of them.**

**Chapter 28**

"Will she be alright? It's been a couple of days already," Someone spoke quietly.

"Look, she's waking," I slowly opened my eyes.

"Thank God!" Dimitri quickly hugged me tight. "I thought I lost you," I didn't respond to him. Instead I pushed him away. "Roza?" Tears trickled down my cheeks. "Roza, what's wrong?" He tried to reach me and I slapped his hand away. "Hey!" I couldn't care less. Sure, one minute I loved Dimitri, the next I push him away. This time, I had a legitimate reason. Back when we first realized our feelings for one another, he told me, he promised me that he would never want to be a Strigoi. But there was no mistake. When he was a Strigoi, he wanted to stay a Strigoi. That's what hurt the most. The promise that I held onto for so long shattered like glass. I got out of bed quickly.

"Rose, please stay in bed!" I looked at Dr. Olendski. Giving her a glare, a force shot back at her as I growled menacingly.

"Roza, what's going on?" Dimitri asked, but I saw Vladmir stand in front of him.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Vladmir asked me carefully. I looked at him, analyzing his face carefully and the worried expression that was on his face. I turned and left instead.

"Roza!" Dimitri yelled. I turned to him and hit him with an extremely forceful amount of energy. He stood his ground and was pushed back a feet or two.

"Let her be Dimitri. She's angry and I mean really angry. Let's just give her some room. She'll go find someone to calm her down. Just watch," I turned and stormed out the door. To be honest, I wanted to hit something but I had to hold it in. As I kept walking faster, tears kept falling so I started to run. Before I knew it, I was pounding on Stan's door.

"Who is it?" The door opened and Stan froze there.

"Rose, what happened to you? We thought you disappeared. Hey, what's wrong?" I started to sob as I collapsed onto my knees. "Hey, everything's going to be alright. Shh…you're safe," He wrapped his arms around me, bringing me into his room. He took the blanket on his bed and wrapped me with it. "Better?" I nodded. "Good. Then tell me what's going on. Why are you crying?" I shook my head at first so he gave me some time, only wiping my tears. When I calmed down, I took a deep breath in and released it. "Good girl. Now, what's wrong?" I looked at Stan wearily.

"Dimitri…he didn't want to come back. Vladmir forced him to come back…" I whispered.

"Dimitri didn't want to come back from where?" Stan questioned.

"The mansion where he was turned. Vladmir turned him back, but when Dimitri was a Strigoi, he actually was thinking of staying. He promised me that he would rather die than be a Strigoi!" I started yelling. "I held onto that promise for so long, and he just dropped it like that!" The door slammed open and I saw Dimitri panting. I quickly got on my feet and backed away. Dimitri strode across the room and I flinched. He lifted his hand like he was going to slap me so I quickly shut my eyes. Thing was, the pain never came. Instead, there was warmth. I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri hugging me.

"I'm sorry," He let go and I felt the ring from my hand slip. However, the clanging noise never came. I saw the ring drop into his hand. "I've hurt you time and again. I can't love you. I can't love you without hurting you so you're free to go," He quickly left.

"Dimitri!" I chased after him. When I saw him stop in the hallway, he opened a window. I saw him give a kiss to the ring. "Dimitri! Stop!" He looked at me sadly. He had regretted what he had done and I didn't realize it. Now I did and it was too late. "Dimitri! Please, don't!" He looked at me again, kissed the ring again, and said, "I'm sorry." Then he threw the ring out the window and I saw it fly.

"Damn!" I ran and flew to get it.

"Roza!" I wanted to reach the ring before it hit the lake that was underneath. As I reached further, I caught the ring, but couldn't come up in time and splashed into the lake. Cold water pushed on my lungs as I tried to resurface and I gasped. As my vision faded, I felt something push me up from the water. I gasped as a dragon threw me out of the lake and onto land. It was a black dragon.

"What the-"

"Rorek!" I saw Vladmir yell out. The dragon went back into the water. "Rose, are you okay?" I shivered as I was freezing. I quickly looked at the ring in my hand as it sparkled beautifully. When I looked back up at where Dimitri stood, tears streamed down his face. Then he walked off. _'He's not getting away that easily,'_ I ran to cut him off. He was most likely going to go back to his room. When I got there first, I waited. Shortly after, Dimitri saw me and turned around.

"Stop right there!" He didn't stop. "I said stop!" Using my powers, he was frozen there. Or at least his feet were stuck to the floor. I walked to him.

"I'm sorry. I said too much. I know you already feel bad and it was my fault. So please don't do that…" He gave me a weary look.

"Roza, I don't have the courage to love you anymore. To be honest, our relationship has been nothing but one strain after another," I didn't like where this was headed.

"Don't. You. Dare," I hissed at him. "I love you and you know that!"

"Roza, let's stop this before one of us gets hurt. I've hurt you more than enough. And frankly, I'm just tired," He told me. I shook my head. I looked at the ring and held it close to me.

"STOP!" I screamed and wings came out from my back, all black. I roared and a quick transformation took me over. Before I knew it, I looked like a dragon, all black and red.

"Roza…" I slammed myself into walls and the walls cracked. On lower floors, students were screaming as they evacuated.

"Rose!" Vladmir ran to me. I roared at him and he stopped. "What did you do to her?" Dimitri just looked at me.

"I tried to break up with her," He spoke up quietly.

"Why?"

"Because I've hurt her more than enough times for a lifetime!" Dimitri yelled out finally.

"And you're not hurting her now? Look at her!" Dimitri looked at me as I roared out in sadness. My tail slammed the wall and the building started to crumble. "Rose, stop! You'll destroy the place!" My wings flapped quickly, causing a gust of wind to shatter windows. I flew outside and roared. All the students hid behind the teachers and guardians.

"Rose, snap out of it!" Nathan yelled from below. I growled at them before looking back at Dimitri. As I prepared to blow out fire, I was suddenly tackled by the same dragon that hid in the lake. It slammed me into the forest and I growled, pushing it off. Suddenly it clawed me in the stomach and I collapsed in pain.

"Roza!" Dimitri ran out as my transformation reverted.

"Good job, Rorek!" Vladmir called it back.

"Is she alright?" Dimitri yelled.

"It's just a scratch. She'll be fine," I got up but doubled over in pain, gasping as I saw blood on my shirt. Dimitri helped me up and my wound quickly sealed.

"See? Her powers allow her to regenerate to some extent," Vladmir explained. Dimitri glared at Vladmir's arrogance and sat me down against a tree. "Belikov, I really hope you learned a lesson out of this," Vladmir left, leading Rorek back into the lake. I gasped as the pain still lingered.

"Hey, are you okay?" Dimitri looked at my stomach. He laid me down and took my shirt off where no one could see. "Does it hurt anywhere?" He finally smiled.

"I hate you," I gasped in pain.

"I know. I'm sorry," He pushed near my rib cage. "Anything?" I shook my head. "You're fine then. Where's the ring?" I was reluctant to show it to him. He looked behind me and saw it in my hand. He took it and quickly placed it back on my finger. "It belongs here," He gave me a kiss.

"Now, you sure you don't feel any pain, because your face is telling something different," I nodded and stood up. A voice came back again. _'Attack…'_ I got up quickly and ran towards Vladmir, tackling and snarling at him.

"Get off me!" He threw me down and I gasped. "What in God's name do you think you're doing?" He yelled at me. Dimitri ran over, pushing Vladmir back.

"You know what, I've had enough of you pushing her around. She's not your servant," Dimitri defended me. I quickly got up and stormed off. _'Attack…him…'_ I shook my head.

"Damn it! Shut up already!" Dimitri and Vladmir looked at me as I shook my head violently. "Get out of my damn head, and stop telling me what to do!" I yelled to no one in particular.

"Rose, are you hearing someone's voice?" Vladmir came over to me to stop me from shaking my head. I nodded.

"Someone check the perimeters! There's a Moroi out there who's using compulsion on her," The guardians scattered and Vladmir set up a barrier, enclosing only me, Dimitri, and Vladmir. "Whoever's out there can't control her anymore. They can't get through my barrier," Vladmir held me in his arms. "Rose, I need an answer honestly. Who has been talking to you in whispers and how long has this been going on?" Dimitri asked.

"I don't know who it is! If I did, I'd kill them already!" I yelled.

"Hey, calm down. No one can hurt you now. How long has this gone on?" I looked at Vladmir intensely.

"Months. I don't goddamn know who it is. It's a guy, that's all I know…" I confessed quietly. I stood up and stepped outside the barrier.

"Roza! Come back!" The minute I stepped out though, my mind went blank. _'Come to me…'_ I followed the voice like a trance. I had no control over my body as I walked in a direction.

"Rose!" My wings came out and a transformation started without my knowledge. _'That's a good angel.'_ Soon, I realized something was wrong and stopped. _'No, keep going. Keep coming to me.'_ I stopped solid though and shook my head. Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the woods.

"Papa…" I turned to see Dimitri. "I thought you were dead,"

"I was. But now, I'm not," The man approached me. "My sweet angel of destruction," He reached to me and I froze.

"Roza, get away from him!" Fear crossed my mind.

"STOP!" I screamed and a screech came from me again. Dimitri's father collapsed, covering his ears as Dimitri tried to reach me.

"Roza, stop!" I stopped and ran into his arms.

"Oh my god…" I was shaking. Dimitri's father stood up again and came to me but Dimitri and Vladmir were already in front of me, both with stakes.

"You touch her, you die," Dimitri growled. _'What's gotten into him?'_

"Now is not the time. Another day then," He somehow disappeared right in front of us. Dimitri stood there grimly as I didn't know what to do. I tugged at Dimitri and he threw me back.

"Dimitri, snap out of it!" I cried out. He jerked back and looked at me. "It's me! It's Roza! So snap out of it!" I screamed. He approached me and got onto his knees.

"I'm so sorry, Rose. I didn't know what came over me. Rose, listen to me. From now on, I will be by your side twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I told you about my father before. Now that he's Strigoi, he's dangerous so here," He put the collar on. I accepted it without complaint. He was scared. I could tell because his once strong arms were trembling. I got close to him and heard his heartbeat. It was going superfast.

"Time to go," He took me back inside to our room. When we entered, he locked the door and put me on the bed. Then he sat by the door and that was it, with a strict face on him.

"Dimitri…?" He didn't answer me. I curled up on the bed and cried. But even that did nothing, Dimitri refused to touch me.

"Rose…don't cry…you're better than this. If it's any time to grow up, it's now," He told me sternly.

"Don't tell me that! I don't want to grow up!" I yelled back at him. He walked up to me and grabbed me by the neck of the shirt.

"Rosemarie, you have no idea who you're messing with. He's no ordinary Strigoi," He let me go on the bed again. I pushed him back, hard.

"You were a Strigoi too! How are you any different? Things happen for a reason. If anything happens to me, it was supposed to happen. Not because of you," I growled at him.

"Rose, you're messing with one of the strongest Russian fighters. So don't think you know him! I know his strength, I know his capabilities. You can fight all you want, but now, I'll be stepping in your way because I'm not going to risk losing you," He stood up and pulled a stake out. _'What the hell has gotten into him?'_ I fell backwards on the bed. My arms had given out on me. My heart was beating quickly as I gulped. Still, Dimitri had no change in movement. He was on the highest alert possible. When I moved even the slightest, he would look at me as if in one second, I had the chance of disappearing. I looked away. The Dimitri I loved so much had turned dangerous in just a few minutes. I finally got up and headed to the door. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"Out. Somewhere. I don't know," I responded back carelessly.

"Then I'm coming with you," He added in.

"NO, YOU WILL NOT! That is an order, Guardian Belikov," He gave me a hateful glare. "Please…don't let it come to this…" I whispered to him as I left the room, by myself. I walked briskly down the hallway, really in no direction. Finally I stopped as I heard footsteps. "You are unbelievable!" I turned around and slapped him.

"Ouch!" That was not the voice I thought it was. I quickly turned and saw Stan.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I thought you were Dimitri and-" He put his hand up.

"I'm fine. Actually, Belikov wanted me to follow you. He said you wouldn't let him follow so I had to take his place," I bit my lip at his explanation. "He's just on edge, you know that right? He's had a really terrible past with his father,"

"But I can fight for myself!" I yelled back at him. "I'm not weak!"

"Are you?" He asked and I stopped to give him a glare. "You're weak to Dimitri's father's compulsion. He's the voice you heard all this time," He stated the obvious. I looked away. Point taken.

"But I can fight him!" I retorted.

"Can you?" Again, another question. "You couldn't fight him when he called you to him. You walked to him like a mindless servant. Unless you have proof you can fight him, Dimitri isn't in the wrong. You are," He scolded me.

"Don't you think I know that?" I finally lost my cool. "You know what? Forget this. You're no help!" I grew my wings out and flew off.

"Rose!" I covered my ears as I flew down the hallway. Finally, I stepped outside.

'_Damn it!'_

I heard Dimitri's voice in my head as I turned around. I looked up and him seeing me outside was freaking him out. He ran and I saw him run, fast. I took out my sword and pointed it at him right as he approached me.

"Not. Another. Step," I hissed at him.

"Roza…put the sword down," He used his lustful voice to calm me. Not this time.

"No. Not until I can prove to you that I can fight, that I'm not weak!" I yelled back. He didn't respond back. Instead, he pulled out a stake. Okay…not what I thought would happen. My sword flared and he took a defensive position. I charged at him and he charged back. He didn't hold back because the minute we collided, he threw me off like it was nothing.

"Don't get up," Dimitri growled at me. He had a scary look on his face. I got up nonetheless. Again I charged at him and again it was futile. He stopped every one of my attacks. After what seemed to be half an hour, I was worn out. Then Dimitri walked to me, took the sword out of my hand and sheathed it again. I pushed him back and tried to grab my sword, but suddenly, my sword grew heavy. _'What the hell?'_ He had his hand out and it was glowing blue. He was controlling my sword's weight somehow. Then I realized, I had the collar on. That's what supplied Dimitri with his power.

"Rose, just come back. I only want to protect you," I looked at the front gate.

"Don't even dare," He threatened me. I took a step towards the gate and he stepped with me. "I'm not going to let you go. You can get hurt if I let you leave. Roza, please don't continue this," He pleaded now. I stopped and turned to him.

"Fine…" I walked to him and hugged him. "Give me back Dimitri…please…" When I looked at him his glare remained. "PLEASE!" A glow surrounded the two of us and enveloped us.

"Roza!" My energy spread around and my clothes turned into a black dress. Dimitri's clothes changed into an armor fit for a prince. I swayed as my vision blurred.

"Roza!" I finally collapsed onto the ground, exhausted after what had just happened.

_Few hours later…_

"She's going to be fine. Let her rest," I opened my eyes.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Vladmir brushed my hair aside.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"You transformed for a brief moment into the angel of darkness and you collapsed afterwards," I sat up on the bed. I looked around. I was in Dimitri's room.

"Where's Dimitri?" No one answered me. I looked at them oddly. "Vladmir, where's Dimitri?" He looked away.

"I shouldn't tell you," He stated.

"Why not?" I started to cry.

"Rose, he doesn't want you looking for him. But what he's doing is running and that's not right so I'll tell you. He's not far from here. He's back at home in Baia. You can fly there. It's not too far for you," I quickly expanded my wings and left the school as fast as I could.

"Mama, look, an angel!" I looked down and saw people staring. _'Now's not the time.'_ I flew as fast as I could. As time passed when I flew, more of my features became the angel of darkness's features. My hair had grown longer and the dress formed again. _'Dimitri, why are you doing this?'_ Not long after, I saw a sign with the word Baia. I landed quickly. There wasn't anything around except for a few houses and some stores and what not making it easy to look for Dimitri. As I looked at the houses, one caught my eye and I remember seeing it in a vision long, long ago. There was a car there, one from the school's. _'This must be it.'_ I didn't bother knocking. When I felt the door handle, it was unlocked. I slowly opened the door. No one was inside and everything was dark. I thought Dimitri's family would be here. Guess not. I looked around and everything was quiet. I looked on the dining table and saw Dimitri's keys. _'He's here.'_ Finally, as I turned around, a shadow loomed over me and I screamed.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Dimitri roared at me, shoving me onto the kitchen table with the stake at my throat. He turned on the lights.

"Who are you?" I looked at him strangely. Did he not recognize me in this form? I looked at myself. _'Of course not.'_ I closed my eyes and the transformation slowly reverted itself.

"Rose…Rose, what are you doing here? How did you find me? I told Vladmir to-" I slapped him big time. "Roza…"

"Snap out of it already!" I yelled at him. He looked shocked.

"Roza…I…"

"You ran! You're a coward so you ran! Oh and not to mention, you're really quite the hypocrite, aren't you?" I growled at him.

"I am not a coward!" He slammed me on the table again, rage burning in his eyes. This was all his father's fault.

"Let go of her, Dimka!" I looked at the door and saw an old lady walk in.

"Yeva…you know her?"

"I've known her for many years. Isn't that right, Roza?" I looked at her warily. "Dimka, do as I say and unhand her," Dimitri let me go quickly, looking at me with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry. I was out of line," Dimitri stormed upstairs and slammed the door to what probably was his room.

"Go. I can take care of the mess here. He needs you," I nodded and left it to his grandmother. Slowly, I opened the door to Dimitri's room. He was in bed, turning towards the window, away from me. I yawned but he didn't move an inch. I crawled into his bed and just stayed close to him.

"I never gave you permission to come into my room," He spoke up. I didn't answer him and closed my eyes. My grip on his shirt loosened as my energy left at a rapid rate. "I said I never gave you permission to come into my…" He turned to me finally. Tears streamed down my cheeks onto his pillow as my wings beat slowly. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" He touched my head. "Damn. Not again. Your body temperature's dropping again!" He quickly got out of bed and went into his bathroom. He came out with a bucket of water, and a towel. I shuddered and curled up. He soaked the towel quickly and put it on my stomach. It was hot but I endured it. I sneezed now. "Damn, you shouldn't have come out to find me," He was doing everything he could to warm me, even if it meant for him to be almost naked except his boxers. He climbed into bed again and held me close to him. I looked at him as he tried to transfer his body heat to me. As he rubbed my body faster, the red aura from the last time came back. My body warmed up quickly and Dimitri relaxed. "There. Are you okay now?" I heard him but didn't answer. "Roza?" Eventually, I just drifted off to sleep.

**Aw…poor Rose. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Please review! More would be lovely! Thanks again!**


	29. Chapter 29: Change of Heart

**So here's chapter 29! Thanks to olivia williams, Twilighternproud, loventherussian17, SassYNoles, , roseskyangel, MarianneNorthmanCullen, Do'B, 17cowgirl, Sinylinx97, and RougeOlympian for the fantastic reviews! Keep it up guys! You guys are the best! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA or any of its characters except a select few!**

**Chapter 29**

_Next morning…_

"Make some porridge for her. She's not feeling well. Dimka, you have to be careful with her," I heard a woman speak as I groaned. I sat up in the bed as the sun shone through the window. As I left Dimitri's room, I headed downstairs to where the voices where. As the stairs creaked, everyone looked up at me. In the room was Dimitri, Yeva, and Olena, I was assuming.

"Roza?" Dimitri called out my name. I gave him an empty look. "How are you feeling?" Still, I didn't answer. Instead, I walked by him and sat on the couch quietly. The room became dead silent.

"Roza!" I heard a little kid yell out. A little boy came running over to me. I picked him up.

"Oh, don't mind him. That's Paul, Dimitri's nephew," I smiled at Paul, giving him a kiss on his forehead. I hugged him tight, as if I was clinging onto my own life. Tears trickled down as I started to cry.

"Roza…what's wrong?" Paul asked. Dimitri quickly came over to me.

"Paul, go help in the kitchen. Let me handle this," Paul tried to escape but I didn't let him.

"Don't touch him!" I yelled, sending a force that pushed Dimitri back.

"You're scaring him!" Dimitri yelled. I jerked back and Paul ran out of my arms. When Dimitri came towards me, I flinched and he quickly withdrew his hand, leaving me alone and heading back to the kitchen. I looked at him but he never even looked back.

"Dimka…you shouldn't do that…" Olena spoke up quietly.

"It's fine. She's just throwing a tantrum," He spoke harshly. Yeva came to me instead. She pulled me down to her lap as I cried. She gently brushed my hair, soothing me by speaking in Russian.

"You are alright Roza. You are strong…" She spoke in English now. I shook my head.

"No, I'm not…" I replied.

"You are strong, I know," She comforted me. Dimitri finally looked at me, but now I looked away. "Come on, time for breakfast," Yeva got me to sit up. I sighed as Dimitri came with the porridge.

"Babushka, you can go have breakfast. I'll take care of her," Dimitri took up a stool and sat down so he was facing me. "Here," He scooped up some porridge and held it in front of my mouth. I didn't eat it. "Come on. You need to eat to regain your energy," I hit the spoon away and it spilled to the floor.

"Roza…" He looked at me worriedly while now I was the one looking at him with a hateful glance.

"If it's one thing you should know, it's that I don't take betrayals easily," I got up and left the house.

"Wait!" He stopped me before I even took a step out the door. "Where are you going?"

"Again with the asking!" I yelled at him. He flinched. "Look, I know you're worried with me and I'm grateful. But I'm not a pet you can keep with you. I'm still a person! I still have my freedom! You can't have me on a leash," He looked away.

"I'm sorry!" He finally exclaimed. "Rose, you just don't know how dire the situation is right now…please. Don't go…" He pleaded. I slowly let my guard down. _'He's underestimating you.'_ The same voice returned. Dimitri's father was near. _'He's underestimating you…'_ I shook my head.

"Damn it, stop controlling me!" I screamed. Dimitri looked up quickly and stood in front of me.

"He's here, isn't he," Dimitri pulled out his stake. "Get inside, now!" I froze there. A thick fog suddenly covered everything. "Rose, can you hear me? Get inside!" He commanded. Out from the mist, a figure came out. "You're back…" I saw a hand motion upwards and my head looked up without my control. "Stay away from her!" I saw Dimitri's father come closer. _'Move! Move! Move!'_ I told myself. I tried to reach Dimitri's stake but Dimitri's father had some spell on me making it extremely hard to move. When I reached for it, I stabbed my leg with it. Screaming out in pain, my body dropped and the spell wore off. "Rose!" Dimitri took his stake back and got into a defensive position before me.

"Who are you?" I yelled.

"Oh, forgive me. I seem to have forgotten my manners. I am Daryl. Daryl Belikov," The wound on my leg regenerated and I stood up. He stood in front of Dimitri.

"Move," Dimitri's body stiffened as he seemed to be forced to move. I backed up.

"Don't touch her!" Dimitri struggled to break out of whatever spell it was.

"Angel, it's time to come to your master!" Suddenly my mind blanked and walked to him. "That's a good angel," I heard Dimitri struggle and stopped.

"Snap out of it Rose! Fight back! Show me you can fight back!"

"She can't fight. She's under my control. Foolish son, you don't know how to use her. Now watch as I turn her against you!" He laughed. "Angel, fight him," My body forced me to attack Dimitri. _'Stop!'_ I hit Dimitri and he was thrown for quite a distance. _'Fight back!'_ I turned to Daryl despite the spell.

"Angel, fight him!" Now, I turned and attacked Daryl. "You insolent-"

"Parareru, parareru, paralyze!" I saw Vladmir and he somehow froze Daryl.

"Vladmir…heh…never thought I'd see you again. Here to get in my way?" Daryl smirked while frozen.

"Daryl, she is my angel. Not yours. I created her so she shall be mine. Rose, can you hear me?" Vladmir touched my forehead. Since my mind was still blank, I didn't reply. "Belikov, how are you holding up?" Dimitri stood up.

"I'm fine. Just get Rose back," Vladmir nodded.

"Parareru, parareru, rewind!" My focus came back and I looked around.

"What happened?" I asked, confused as hell.

"I'll fill you in later. Get inside," Vladmir motioned for me to go. That was until I heard a cracking noise. Suddenly a shattering sound was heard and Vladmir's spell on Daryl unraveled.

"Get inside!" I finally ran inside.

"What's going on outside?" Olena was freaking out.

"Get upstairs!" I transformed quickly into the angel myself. Then I pulled out my sword and dark flames burst around it. I stepped back outside.

"Angel, you're back," Daryl smirked as Dimitri held him by the stake.

"Well, I figured in this form, you can't control me," Daryl smirked again.

"So sure of yourself? Angel, come!" His spell wrapped around me, creating a heavy force around me but I stood still and focused. Once I did, the same shattering sound was heard and his spell was repelled. "Tch!" Daryl pushed Dimitri back and Dimitri stumbled a bit. Without a second, Daryl disappeared. I withdrew my sword. Sighing, I collapsed onto my knees, giving a grin to Dimitri. He just sighed and smiled back. My transformation reverted and to be honest, I never felt better. I walked over to Dimitri and lent a hand to him. He quickly hugged me.

"You did well, Roza. You did well," I buried myself into his neck and nuzzled him.

"I missed you," I told him. He chuckled.

"Dear Roza, I never left," He kissed my cheek.

"Parareru, parareru, transform!" Our clothes changed under Vladmir's spell and he smiled. "All is well now. I shall be heading back. Rose, I'm assuming you're staying for a while with Dimitri?" Vladmir grinned. I nodded. "Belikov, take care of her while you guys are here. Just because he's gone doesn't mean he won't come back," Dimitri nodded. As we parted ways, Dimitri brought me back inside. Paul looked like he was going to cry. I quickly picked him up.

"No crying. Everything's alright now," He nodded and reached to Dimitri. Dimitri took him from my arms and held him. Olena gave us a worried look.

"Everything's fine, mama. Don't worry," Dimitri gave a kiss on the cheek to Olena. When I sighed, Dimitri looked at me worriedly. "How are you holding up?" Suddenly a searing pain came on my wrist and I collapsed. "Rose!" I thrashed as I held onto my wrist. When it stopped, I was on the floor gasping. Dimitri and Olena tried to calm me. I pulled up my sleeve and saw a rose mark appear. Then as it burned and glowed red for a while, it soon disappeared and buried itself back into my skin. The burning sensation soon dulled too and I got up. Olena had already grabbed a cold towel, dabbing my skin.

"Does it hurt?" I shook my head and took the towel from her, doing the work myself. Olena quickly went to Yeva and they started talking quietly. Dimitri helped me up and brought me to his room.

"Are you okay?" I nodded. To say I was worried would be an understatement though.

"Yeah…I'm okay…" Dimitri hugged me.

"You were brave out there. You tried to fight back," I scoffed. "Rose?"

"I was terrified…" My voice shook and he quickly hugged me tighter.

"Shh…it's over for now. I'm here. There's no need to worry," After a few minutes of silence, my heart calmed and I fell asleep in his hold.

"Roza, do you want to sleep more?" I nodded and he quickly tucked me into bed. "It's been awhile since you had a nice rest. You did well. You deserve it. Do you still want breakfast before you sleep?" I nodded and he smiled. He quickly left and brought back porridge.

"Here," Without another minute, I quickly consumed it. When I was done, I yawned and went to sleep.

"Should I wake you at lunch or do you want to wake on your accord?" He asked.

"Lunch…" I mumbled at this time. He laughed a bit, turned the lights off, and shut the blinds. "Good night," He chuckled. I curled up and fell asleep.

_In dream…_

"_Rose?"_ _I looked around for the voice that called to me._

"_Who's there?" I yelled back to what seemed like nothing. A background suddenly built itself around me and a beautiful field was created. "Who's there?" I yelled again. _

"_Turn around," I turned to see Vladmir. I sighed._

"_Talk about dream walking much," He didn't smile. _

"_Rose, sit down for a minute, will you?" He used whatever magic he could and created a wooden bench. I sat down as told to._

"_What's going on?" I asked him._

"_I should be asking you the same question. What's going on with you? You've been hot and cold around Dimitri. Did something happen? Did he anger you in any way?" I flinched for a minute. Then I stayed silent. "Rose, the reason I'm trying to help here is because you two are made for each other. Yet every time I see the two of you, you're always fighting. And to be honest, it's starting to change the future," He told me._

"_The future?" He nodded. He used magic again and created what seemed like a portal. Then an image came up._

"_This was your future," The image showed me and Dimitri happy as ever. It seemed like we were on a date. Then the portal popped._

"_And? What is it now?" I asked, somewhat afraid to find out. An image formed and now it seemed like Dimitri and I were fighting, actually arguing. Apparently something happened that made me throw the engagement ring right back at him. Dimitri picked it up and sighed, walking away as I was off running in tears. When the portal popped again, now I just had a guilty feeling in my chest._

"_You don't have to tell me this. I know I've treated him badly, but every time I trust him, he keeps giving me a reason not to!" I yelled back at Vladmir. He just looked at me in shock. "Send me back…" He froze there. "I said send me back!" He quickly made everything disappear, as well as himself._

_End of dream…_

I jerked upright quickly, gasping as if from a nightmare.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I saw Dimitri's face and flinched backwards. "Hey…there's nothing to be afraid of," He stroked my cheek gently. I was still startled to say the least. He quickly brought me in for a hug as he waited for me patiently to calm down. "It's all a dream. Nothing to it," He told me. When I focused on my heartbeat, it was beating quickly. "Are you okay now?" I opened my eyes and smelled his aftershave scent. "Lunch is ready. Are you hungry?" He smiled. I looked away. "Hey, what's wrong? You're not usually like this," He helped me sit up but I pushed his hand away and fell back onto his lap, my face buried away from his view. Not a word came from him. He simply stroked my hair and waited for me to regain myself. _'Had Vladmir been right? I constantly treated Dimitri so badly yet he never said a word.'_ I sat up by myself and Dimitri brought my face up for a kiss. "There. Are you better now?" I nodded quietly. "Are you hungry?" I shook my head. He still had a worried look. "You're not hungry?" Suddenly my stomach grumbled. He chuckled. "I rest my case," He picked me up and brought me downstairs for food. Once the scent hit me, I quickly jumped off from Dimitri and ran to the food on the table. But then right before I got to a chair, I stopped to look at the set up. The room was really quiet, too quiet in fact. Everyone was apparently out of the house. There were candles set up and roses all over. Dimitri had planned this as a lunch date. I looked back at him and he smiled. I looked away though. I didn't deserve any of this. I treated Dimitri so cruelly for so long and yet his feelings for me never wavered. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" He asked.

"I am. Truly, I am. But Dimitri, maybe it's time you're honest about what you feel for me," I looked at him. His smile dropped.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I'm talking about us. Our relationship has gotten nowhere since we actually said the words 'I love you' to each other for the first time. Our relationship has been a constant push and pull. And yet, I don't understand. Why do you still love me? I'm the one destroying the relationship and yet you're still here. You still did all of this!" I started to yell. He led me to a chair to sit me down and looked at me while holding my hand.

"Rose, Roza. Nothing's ever easy in life. Our relationship shows that. But I still love you because I do. I'd do anything to protect you and I'd do anything or give you anything to make you happy because your love makes me happy enough. Rather, it seems that I've been the one destroying the relationship. You're a mythological animal. You're an angel. You're part of a prophecy that I probably don't know about and for all I know you're Vladmir's mutant creation from Lissa's spirit powers. But I don't care about any of that. To me, you're Rose. You're my Roza and that's all that matters to me. So I don't care if I have to chase you when you run away. I don't care if you have to complain all day. I don't care if you hate me or get mad at me one day and not the next because no matter what, you're Rose. You're the girl I love and that's never going to change," I started to cry. "Hey, no more crying," He quickly wiped my tears. I sniffed and then wiped my own tears. He took my hands again and looked at me. "Look at me. No more crying. This is what I feel for you and that won't change, alright? Trust me," I nodded. He smiled again and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Come on, love, how about we get some food into your stomach so we can go out and have some fun. How does that sound?" I sighed. _'I guess I've lost.'_ I tried to smile.

"That sounds good," I took a slice of pizza he made and bit into it. Now he wasn't the one eating. As I looked up, he simply smiled. _'Was he that happy?'_ I stopped eating and then he started eating. _'What the hell?'_ He quickly started eating and when I stared at him more, he was blushing. My God! He was blushing. When both of us finished eating, Dimitri quickly cleaned the plates. "Dimitri?" He looked at me after putting the dishes away.

"What is it?" He looked worried again. I looked down at the floor before smiling.

"Nothing…" I sighed before heading upstairs again.

"Rose, don't start it. Stand there bravely and tell me what's wrong," He caught me.

"No," I firmly spoke.

"Why? Why can't you tell me what's wrong?" He asked back. I didn't answer him. "Rose, answer me. Why can't you tell me?" He repeated.

"Because I'm not as brave as you think I am!" I finally confessed. "I can't be the perfect girlfriend you want. I can't be the person you just described. I'm more than that! I'm more than a dhampir, or a moroi or a goddamn human for crying out loud! I can't love you because I'm afraid of hurting you. Yet I can't get farther away because it hurts me. I can't seem to protect you yet you can protect me. And Dimitri, do you know what?" I paused for a minute.

"What?"

"It sucks! You wanted to know what was bothering me? It's the fact that Vladmir had to stalk me in my dreams and tell me at the rate we're going, we're not going to last long on this relationship. I'm destroying the relationship and here you are blaming yourself when it's all me. Do you know how terrible it feels?" I told him.

"Vladmir talked to you? Why didn't you tell me before?" I flinched. "Rose, if you had come to me before about this, we wouldn't be in this mess. When did he talk to you? Was it before you woke up just now?" He asked. I nodded. "So has that been on your mind the entire time?" I stared at him, surprised to see he was so calm. I nodded guiltily. He sighed as he approached me. In one go, he suddenly slapped me. "If you think what Vladmir says can actually change my mind about you, you're wrong," He caressed my cheek that stung now. "Remember how you cried out for me to come back to you. When I was a Strigoi, I mean," I nodded. "I'm going to do the same. Now I'm asking for the Roza I knew back then to come out. Can you do that?" I nodded again. "Good. Now, would you still want to go out with me? Or should we wait a day?" He asked.

"No! Let's go out now," I suddenly spoke up. He opened the door.

"After you," He took my hand as we left the house. We simply started walking until Dimitri started to drag me in a certain direction. "Come on. I have a place I want to show you," I was confused but went along with it. Before I knew it, we arrived at a gigantic and beautiful park. The air felt nice as it was hidden in a forest.

"Where is this?"

"My secret hideout," Dimitri smiled. It seemed like a nostalgic place for him. "I used to come here all the time when I was contemplating on killing my father. It was also a place I used whenever I was upset. I came here after Ivan died. I came here before my father's death and I came here after I left you at the school," He outwardly admitted. The breeze blew the trees and silence was all around. Well, almost all around. Soon, I heard a hissing noise and that couldn't have been just an imagination. My alertness shot up as I stared at the direction where the noise came from. Dimitri grabbed his stake.

"Someone's here," I told him and he nodded. _'Come here…'_ I cringed.

"Rose?" I shook my head. _'Come here…my angel…'_ I growled. In the distance, a Strigoi walked out. It wasn't Dimitri's father though. "Not another step!" Dimitri warned him. The Strigoi seemed to have a tape recorder and it played Dimitri's father's voice. "Come here…my angel…" Finally, it triggered my transformation as my wings grew out. I walked towards the Strigoi willingly. There was something about that voice that drew me in.

"Rose, come back! Snap out of it!" Dimitri ran towards me but the Strigoi fought him back. I tried to pull back but my body moved on its' own. "Rose, fight it!" I stopped. _'Fight it!'_ Before I knew it, I growled and in a few seconds I turned into a dragon and slammed the recording off to the side. I remembered. It could only control me when I was still in my own form. I raged out of control as I took the Strigoi and threw him at a tree before blowing out fire at him.

"Rose! That's enough!" I saw Vladmir show up, approaching quickly on Rorek's back. "Rose, he's dead!" I roared and blew fire out at Vladmir. "We have to calm her down before she destroys this place!" I took a swipe at Dimitri and he dodged it.

"Roza, it's me! I'm okay! You can stop now!" I blew fire out at both of them.

"Rorek!" Vladmir's dragon headed for me, but now I was smart enough to use my wings and fly. What I didn't see coming though was when Rorek had a beam shot out from his mouth, hitting me square on the body. I roared in pain and struck back but it seemed Rorek still overcame me. I fought it with all I had.

"Roza!" Dimitri yelled again and I stopped. Images of Dimitri smiling minutes before came at me, forcing me to stop. When I saw the area almost destroyed, my heart sank. I did this…again. I flew off to a nearby lake.

"Roza!" Dimitri came after me as I dove into the lake. "ROZA!" The water doused the flame on my tail, the flame that represented my anger and life as a dragon. I swam as deep as I could until I hit the bottom and curled up, waiting for my life to extinguish. I couldn't live like this anymore. I couldn't live knowing that I destroyed Dimitri's most precious place. I growled sadly once more before my vision faded. "ROZA!" The last thing I heard was a splash in the water.

_Few hours later…_

"Look, the fire's back," I slowly opened my eyes and saw Dimitri and Vladmir standing in front of me.

"Hey, scared us there for a minute. You're safe now," Dimitri touched my face gently. Tears gathered as they streamed down my face. I growled sadly. "Shh…everything's alright now…" Vladmir tried to wipe my tears. I glowed as the transformation reverted itself. Now, I was lying on the grass on my side as I sobbed. "Hey…don't cry…" Dimitri took a hold of me into his arms. "Shh…everything's alright now. No need to cry…"

"She's crying because the guilt's hurting her. She destroyed your favorite place and she's suffering because of that," Vladmir explained to Dimitri.

"Aww…don't worry about it, Rose. It's nothing much," He cooed to me. I couldn't forgive myself. I had destroyed Dimitri's most cherished place because of my immaturity.

"Belikov, take her home. She's had enough for one day," Dimitri picked me up as I was still calming down. Dimitri rocked me in his arms a bit and soon I fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the overwhelmed emotions still lingering in me. Minutes passed and soon I felt a bed underneath me so I opened my eyes.  
"How are you feeling?" He touched my wet cheek. I withdrew myself as climbed into the bed. He pulled me close to him as I tried to relax. Burying my head in his chest, he rubbed my back. "Don't worry about what happened. You fought and won and that's all that matters to me," He tried to comfort me.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered quietly.

"Love, don't worry about it. Get some rest. I'll be here so make sure you recover first. That blow Rorek hit you with took a lot out of you," He coaxed me to sleep and all I remembered was having my arm around him before I fell asleep shortly after.

**Well, it seems she's starting to turn around…just very slowly! Hope you guys liked the chapter! And please review! I was very pleased to get more reviews last time so keep it up! Hopefully now that it's my summer vacation, chapters will be updated faster! Thanks!**


	30. Chapter 30: Anger to a Darkened Heart

**So here's chapter 30! Thanks to gopherluv, snowgoose, loventherussian17, SassYNoles, MarianneNorthmanCullen, Shinylinx97, 17cowgirl, and roseskyangel for the reviews. Though the number count is a bit low, I'm glad you guys reviewed. Keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the VA characters in the story except a select few.**

**Chapter 30**

_Next morning…_

I slowly opened my eyes as I heard birds chirping. I gave a deep sigh as I sat up and saw Dimitri still sleeping next to me. If only moments like this could be forever. I got up out of bed, making sure not to wake him. When I left the room after changing and getting ready, I headed downstairs and saw Victoria, Dimitri's sister, sitting on the couch, glaring at me. "You hurt my brother," She spoke quietly.

"I know," I looked at her, still standing a distance away.

"You destroyed his most prized area. You destroyed his garden. You destroyed the only place that he could use to escape from here!" She started to yell.

"Do you think I don't know that?" I yelled back.

"Do you?" She retorted.

"Look, I've been trying to protect his happiness ever since I came into this house, but do you know what it's like to be me? I've done just about all I could and every day I still tell myself I'm not good enough for him but he loves me and I can't change that. I've tried to protect him but things keep getting in the way, things that one person can't take on alone. Viktoria, unless you have an idea what my life is like, you shouldn't be complaining," I growled at her. She slapped me.

"I won't forgive you!" She told me.

"And I don't expect you to," I told her calmly. She had every right to slap me.

"You don't belong here. Leave immediately," She growled, tears streaming from her eyes. Soon, Olena and everyone else saw us.

"Dimka, you have to stop them!" Olena shouted. Dimitri woke up, pissed as hell.

"Rose, turn around," I turned and he saw the red mark upon my face. He gently touched it, then strode towards Victoria and using the back of his hand, slapped her back. I gasped.

"You do not give her orders. I do. Is that clear, Viktoria?" He scolded her. Viktoria gave me a glare and ran out of the house. "Rose, are you okay? He asked me, back facing me.

"Yeah…" I whispered quietly. He turned to me and kneeled down, touching my cheek. I flinched from him.

"Does it hurt?" He asked quietly. I nodded and he took me upstairs to our bedroom. He came back with a wet towel. "This might sting a bit," He gently touched my cheek but I turned away quickly and snarled at him. "Shh…" He calmed me down and gently dabbed my cheek with the towel. "Did she hit you really hard?" I nodded. He simply nodded back as a reply and continued to treat me. "There, the swelling should go down quickly," He smiled gently. Soon, I just grabbed onto him and cried. "Shh…you're okay…don't worry," He tried to soothe me.

"She's right…I don't belong here…I don't…" I tried to speak up but everything came out incoherent.

"Shh…that's not true. You do belong here, with me. Don't listen to her. She's just blowing off some steam," He finally coaxed me to stop crying. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast downstairs, alright?" He wiped the remaining tears, wiped my eyes a bit with the towel and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I nodded and he took my hand. When we headed downstairs, Olena ran to me.

"My dear, I am so sorry what happened with Vikki this morning. I didn't know she would strike at you," I tried to smile.

"Don't worry about it. I kind of had it coming," I tried to hide whatever happened few minutes ago.

"No you did not, child. My granddaughter should not have behaved that way," Yeva spoke up. She helped set the breakfast. "Dimka, you know your chores. Do them before breakfast," Yeva ordered.

"Chores?" I looked at Dimitri.

"Don't worry. Just eat breakfast without me. I'll be back in half an hour," He gave me a quick kiss before heading out to the backyard. I looked at where he was going to and I decided to follow him.

"Be careful, child. The road is rough," Yeva warned me. I went after him either way. Soon, I arrived to a steep hill where I saw Dimitri carrying bricks up the hill.

"Comrade!" I shouted. He picked up the bricks and climbed up the hill with them. "Dimitri!" I yelled out again. He arrived at the top and waved at me. I frowned and he quickly ran down to me. "Is something wrong, love?" I nuzzled against him a bit. "Hey, is everything alright?" I didn't answer him.

"Are you carrying all those up the hill?" I asked. He nodded.

"It's for training, but my grandmother wants to grow a garden there and needs to bricks too so I believe I'm 'killing two birds with one stone'?" I frowned again.

"Is something wrong, Roza?" I shook my head.

"Go eat breakfast. I'll carry them," I suggested

"You can't! They're too heavy for you," He told me. I laughed.

"Haha. I didn't mean physically carrying them. Watch," I used my dark powers as they surrounded the bricks, making each one float to the top of the hill where I stacked them up.

"Roza, that's called cheating and breaking the rules," He kissed me.

"Since when did Rose Hathaway ever not cheat or follow the rules?" I joked.

"Go eat breakfast. I'll be done in a half hour," He sent me on my way back. When I focused on the bricks, they floated behind him and kept stacking up at the top of the hill. "I love you, Roza," He kissed me. "Now stop cheating for me," I flinched and he laughed. _'Damn. Busted.'_ At least he only has half of what he had before to finish. When I headed back to the house, I got whacked on the back of my head by Yeva.

"You help my grandson cheat," She chided me. I laughed.

"Well get used to it. Rose Hathaway always finds the easiest route possible," I joked. Well, that got me another whack. But now everyone was laughing, including myself. We sat down to eat breakfast while Dimitri was slaving away out back. I felt bad for Dimitri. He must've been hungry so I took his plate and stacked it with a bunch of food. Taking it outside, I transformed into a dragon and flew back to where Dimitri was.

"Roza, go eat breakfast already!" He yelled, hearing my wings flap. When I landed, I transformed back and gave him the plate of food.

"It's not fair that you don't get to eat," I sat down on top of the bricks as he sat down on the ground, starting to eat.

"Thank you Roza," I smiled. He quickly ate and finished it, handing me back the plate, when right on cue, Yeva came out.

"Get back to work, Dimka!" He kissed my cheek.

"Go back home. I'll be done in a few minutes," I nodded and skipped back to the house.

"Thank you dear," I handed Olena the empty plate.

"No problem," I headed upstairs to change into something more my style. I used magic and created a nice winter outfit, then skipped back outside to meet Dimitri.

"Roza, stay inside. You'll get sick," He worried about me again.

"I'm fine. Really. Are you done yet?" He came back down from the hill.

"Now I am," He took my hand and we headed back inside. I paused before entering. "Come on," I didn't go inside. "What's wrong?"

"What about your sister?" I asked.

"Don't worry about her. She'll come back when she wants to," He spoke vehemently. I noticed the wind howl.

"I'm going to go find her," I ran out the front door.

"Rose!" Maybe I was stupid to find the girl who slapped me, but in this weather, she really was in no condition to be by herself.

"Vikki!" I called out. "Vikki!" I kept running.

"Rose!" I turned to see Dimitri bring a coat out with him. "I'm coming with you. Wear this," I put on the warm coat and started looking again.

"Vikki!" We finally ended up in a playground at a park. "She's here somewhere. I can smell her scent," I told Dimitri as we started to slow down, looking at every possible place. When I went to the playground, I saw Vikki hiding under the slide. "Finally, I thought I'd never find you," She turned from me.

"Why do you care?" She mumbled.

"Because Dimitri loves you," I held my hand out for her. She didn't take it. "Look, I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm asking you to go home because Dimitri is worrying about you whether he looks it or not. So come on. Truce?" I asked her. She looked at me warily, but nonetheless, she still took my hand as I pulled her up. "Turn around," She did as told and I started to brush the dirt off her clothes.

"Why are you being so nice after I hit you?" She asked.

"Because I had it coming. I deserved it to say the least. If I was in your spot, I would've done the same thing. It's my fault that things happened the way they did. Dimitri! I found her!" I called out to Dimitri who was on the opposite end of the playground. He came over and Vikki actually hid behind me. Dimitri pulled her out from behind me and I sensed the fear in Vikki's mind. Dimitri raised his hand and she flinched, shutting her eyes tight. I didn't stop him though because he had no intention of hitting her again. Instead, Dimitri hugged her tight.

"It's time to come home, little one," I smiled as Viktoria looked surprised.

"You didn't think he was going to hit you again, did you?" Viktoria blinked a few times and her anger softened. She smiled a bit as Dimitri carried her back home.

"Rose, are you coming?" A twinge of fear shot through me and I automatically knew _he_ was here.

"Um…you go on ahead. I want to stay here a bit," Dimitri gave me a wary look and looked around.

"Rose, don't lie to me. I can feel your emotions," He told me strictly.

"Dimka?" Viktoria asked, somewhat scared.

"Comrade, take Vikki home. It's not safe for her here," Dimitri looked at his sister.

"I'll go bring her home and come back here for you. Promise me you'll be alive when I get back," He yelled. I didn't answer. "Rose, answer me!" He was getting worried.

"I promise," I transformed and held out my staff. Dimitri ran with Viktoria back to their house. When they were gone, I called out to whoever it was.

"Come out and show yourself!" Dimitri's father, Daryl, revealed himself.

"So we meet again, my angel," He was in a black cloak with a black armor on.

"And not a moment too soon," I responded with a sarcastic remark. "What do you want?" I asked him, taking a defensive stance.

"Oh, nothing much. I just need you to come with me. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice," He spoke casually.

"Usually I'd take the easy way, but in this case, maybe the hard way is better," I retorted. He smirked and suddenly took a dash at me.

"You just love to test me, don't you, little girl!" He tried to take my arm but a shield came up around me. He grumbled in frustration. Trying again, he tackled at me but still got repelled by a shield. I took my staff and pointed it at him.

"That's enough," A ball of dark energy formed, ready to be launched. He still approached me.

"Silly girl, that can't even hurt me," He waved his hand in front of the shadow ball and it automatically dispelled. The same burning sensation on my wrist came back and I gritted my teeth. "It hurts, doesn't it," He pushed up my sleeve as the rose mark returned. I finally cried out and dropped to my knees while grabbing my wrist.

"Back away from her!" I turned to see Dimitri running towards me. Dimitri threw his stake and Daryl jumped back. "Hey, how's your wrist?" As Daryl backed up, the pain dulled and I stood up. Grabbing my staff, I shot a shadow ball at Daryl, but he, like before escaped once more. This was getting annoying.

"Is Vikki at home?" I asked Dimitri.

"Yes. Now are you alright?" I looked at my wrist as the rose mark lingered and disappeared again.

"I'll be fine. Come on, I want to go check on Vikki," I headed back towards the house with Dimitri. Worried, Dimitri grabbed my wrist, starting to rub and massage it while we walked back. I smiled at him and kissed him.

"Thank you for coming back," I told him.

"Thank you for staying alive. I didn't know he would approach you himself. But Rose, I have to tell you something," We stopped walking.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't think he's the leader of this whole operation. Knowing him in the past, he only got aggressive while drunk, meaning he wouldn't be able to do it normally. Even as a Strigoi, he'll have that tendency. Someone is the mastermind of this whole thing, not him. He's just an admin so to speak. And to be honest, I don't think he's the only admin there is," We started to walk back. "First thing we're going to do is check on Vikki to see if she's alright. Second, I will call Vladmir out here and get him to tell us some things. I have a feeling he knows more than he should. Last, we'll create some plan or something to find a way out if my father or any of his gang comes back," Dimitri warned.

"Stop it, Dimitri," I told him. He quickly stopped talking.

"I know what's going to happen and to be honest, I don't want to talk about it either. Let's just get home and check on Vikki," I headed back home. When we entered, we saw Olena and Yeva yelling at her. "That's enough!" I shouted. All eyes were on me now. "Look, she had the right to yell and slap at me. That's all there was to it. Don't harass her about it anymore. It was my fault in the first place," I stormed upstairs into Dimitri's bedroom. From what I could tell, everything became silent downstairs. Slamming the door, the first thing I did was just curl up in Dimitri's bed.

"Knock, knock,"

"Go away!" I yelled. The door opened anyways. Figures. I didn't bother checking who it was.

"Hey…is everything okay?" It was Dimitri.

"Yeah…yeah, everything's fine," I told him quickly.

"Really? Because that little outburst did not seem 'fine'. Did something happen between you and my father?" He asked.

"No, nothing happened. I'm just a bit uptight right now," He pulled up my sleeve and looked at the burn mark.

"Rose…come on, let's get this thing to stop bothering you," He directed me towards the bathroom. "Tell me if it hurts. I'm putting on some warm water then cooling it off a bit," He put my wrist under the sink and I flinched. "Does it hurt?" I shook my head. He gently rubbed it a bit and I bit my tongue, but still let him continue. When he ran it under cool water, I relaxed. The mark disappeared again.

"Does it hurt now?" I shook my head. He gently dried off my wrist with a towel and tossed it onto the side of the sink. I stayed silent. When I sat on the bed, he looked warily at me. "You know, the silence is getting a bit uncomfortable. Let me try something on you real fast. It'll get you back to normal. Now, close your eyes," I closed my eyes. I felt him hug me, but what was different was that he started massaging my neck and rubbing my ears a bit. I gasped and he chuckled. "Does that feel good?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah…" He kept going at it for what seemed half an hour. When he stopped, I was in a total daze.

"Better?" I nodded and stood up to stretch.

"Dimka!" Dimitri looked at me and took my hand as we headed downstairs.

"Yes, mama?"

"Be a dear and go grocery shopping for me? I'm going to make your favorite black bread today," I smiled at Dimitri. I knew by the way his face lightened up that it was his favorite.

"Of course, mama. Do you have a list?" Olena handed Dimitri the list.

"Wow…almost every ingredient," I looked over the list.

"Well, it's been a while since any of us have baked it. Now go on. You two have fun grocery shopping," Dimitri led me outside as we left the house.

"So where do we get all this stuff?" I asked.

"At the local market. In the U.S., I believe it is called a farmer's market?" I nodded. It's funny how there were still some things Dimitri didn't know about too much. As we walked down to the main street of the town, stands were everywhere. From all fruits of different sizes to meat and vegetables, everything was there.

"Surprised? It is bigger than the ones in America," Dimitri spoke up. I stayed silent and just watched in amazement as people bustled to get to places. "Hold my hand so we don't get separated. It can get quite busy here," He held onto my hand tight as we walked through the crowd of people.

"So what's the first thing?" I asked, trying to see the list he was holding.

"Uh…cider vinegar. Ah, over there. There's a lady who sells just about all the baking items needed," He pointed out. When we headed to the stand, the two of them started talking in no doubt, Russian. A chill went up my spine as I stared in a certain direction.

"Roza, dear. It's a pleasure to meet you," I kept staring though.

"Roza, say hi," Dimitri called to me. I looked back and he knew something was wrong…again. "I'm sorry. Excuse us for a minute. Rose, what's going on?" He whispered. I held both his hands, transferring what I felt to him. "Someone's watching us?" I nodded. "Is it Daryl?" He asked again. I shook my head though. This was a different feeling. My wings spread out and I flew up to the clock tower to look over in the direction I was staring at. Sure enough, nothing was there.

"Looking for me?" Startled, I turned and fell to the side of the clock tower. "Don't worry. It's just me," I looked and saw Vladmir. He helped me up and brought me back down to Dimitri.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just here to do some grocery and candy shopping for Damien. I guess I got too close to you and you reacted. Has something been going on because I know you met Daryl again?" He, too, pushed my sleeve up and saw the rose mark. "Oh dear. Rose, listen well. If Daryl shows up again, take this whistle and blow it three times. I'll come over the minute I hear it. You cannot let Daryl touch you and I mean physically touch you. If he spreads this mark, then you're under his control and I can't save you if it spreads to your heart. Understood?" I nodded firmly.

"Yeah. But what's going on?" I asked him. Vladmir sighed.

"Your powers were created by the both of us. By Daryl and I a long time ago. This isn't the first time I've reincarnated like this so we met during that time. I told him about the powers I could create and what Anna was for. However, I guess for evil intentions after turning Strigoi, he wants those powers for God knows what reason. He created that seal on the power to signify his possession of the powers but I created one similar to his," Vladmir touched the rose mark and it disappeared, turning into a 'V' mark instead. "Rose, you are not a normal girl and cannot be trifled with. If your heart ever waivers for any reason, Daryl will take advantage of that. If you turn to his end, he might turn you Strigoi and let's just say, the dragon inside of you will be chaos," Dimitri listened in at this point.

"So that's what's going on. He just wants Rose for power?" Dimitri asked.

"Power, world domination, that sort of thing, yes. Rose, how often has the mark shown up?"

"Once or twice but it disappears," I told him.

"Then you're still safe since the rose hasn't become permanent. Once the rose becomes permanent, then like the flower, the leaves and thorns extend. Once the marks spread to your heart, like I said, then it becomes game over," I tried to laugh.

"Wow…morbid much," No one laughed along though.

"Dimitri, keep an eye on her," Vladmir bowed to us before leaving. Dimitri hugged me.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you. I promise," I nodded and let my guard down a bit again. "Come on, we still have bread flour, rye flour, salt, margarine, dark corn syrup, cocoa powder, coffee granules, and yeast to get," He took my hand again as we left the stand.

"Dimitri?" I called to him softly.

"Yes?" He looked back at me.

"When can we go home?" I asked. He stopped to look at me.

"What do you mean? When we're done shopping? Are you not feeling well?" I shook my head.

"I mean home. My home. Our home, the school," He sighed, taking me to the clock tower as he sat down.

"To be honest, I don't want to go back," He confessed. I quickly let go of his hand.

"Why?" I asked. "I still have to graduate! I still have to go to school…" I told him.

"I know. Which is why I'm returning you to the school at the end of the week," He explained.

"That's tomorrow…I'm not going back without you…!" I replied. He looked at me for a while as we stayed silent.

"But-"

"No buts! Damn it, were you ever going to tell me you didn't plan on returning?" I told him, tears welling in my eyes.

"If I return, I can't keep an eye out for you. I can't protect you like I should," He explained.

"Stop babying me!" I finally yelled out. "I can protect myself. Dimitri, I love it here, but I still need to graduate! And I'm not going to do it without you!" I retorted. _'He's underestimating you again…'_ Daryl was close. "You know what? That's it! I'm done trying to help you. I waited days for you to realize that I wanted you to come back but every time I wait for you, I end up looking like the bad guy!" He looked at me with no emotion. "I hate you!" I reached for my ring up until I remembered Vladmir's message. It was the exact same vision. I froze there. I was making the nightmare come to life. I didn't take off the ring. Letting my tears drop on Dimitri's hands, I finally told him one last message.

"I can't take this anymore…" I turned to the voice finally. If Daryl wanted me, so be it. But I will not return to the school. Not without Dimitri and if I had to be a big baby about it, so be it.

"Rose!" I kept running towards the voice. _'Good…come to me, my angel.'_ When I returned back to the park, Daryl was sitting on a bench waiting. He opened his arms to me and for once, doing the wrong thing felt nice. I ran to him as I cried and he, ironically soothed me.

"That's it my angel…I'm all here for you…" The mark burned again and when I looked, leaves were sprouting from it, but I could care less at this point. I was sick of doing the right thing over and over again only to get it spat back in my face.

"Rose, get away from him," It was Dimitri and Vladmir. I sniffed and wiped my tears, then shook my head. "Rose, remember what I said! You cannot have him touch you!" Vladmir yelled. I growled at them.

"Give them what they deserve," My transformation reacted quickly and in a flash, my wings were open and my staff was charged and ready to go. Dimitri pulled out his stake and Vladmir charged up his energy.

"Attack," Daryl whispered. And then that was all I needed to snap.

**Oh my god. Rose has finally snapped for the worse. (Don't worry. Our Russian God will get her back. ;) ) Hope you guys enjoyed this! Stay tuned!**

**A/N: I know it's summer time and some of you guys are out of town, but please try to keep the review count up! Thanks**


	31. Chapter 31: To Prey On Weaknesses!

**So here's chapter 31! Thanks to Twilighternproud, loventherussian17, MarianneNorthmanCullen, and gopherluv for the reviews!**

**Also, a special thanks to Dani0515 for sending lovely PMs. Your review is counted! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA materials except for my creations. **

**Chapter 31**

"Attack," I charged at them full on and as I hit Dimitri back, Vladmir tackled me onto the ground. However, with all my powers, it was easy to throw Vladmir off of me.

"Shadow Wave!" A dark wave of energy emitted for a good distance, immobilizing Dimitri and Vladmir.

"What in God's name did you do to her, Belikov?" Vladmir yelled at Dimitri.

"Nothing, I swear! She just snapped!" Dimitri yelled back as gusts of wind blew through the sky.

"This is not good," I charged at Dimitri again, this time punching him square in the stomach causing him to bend over and cough. I thrashed at him as Vladmir couldn't even come close.

"Rose, you're going to kill him!" And like before, that was all I needed to stop. Dimitri gasped and groaned and I turned to Daryl. My staff disappeared and I realized what I had done.

"You turned me against them…You turned me against your son! You turned me against my teacher! You turned me against the love of my life!" I yelled at him.

"I didn't. You turned against them yourself. Now, seeing as how I am no longer needed, I will see you soon," He disappeared like normal. Vladmir helped Dimitri up who was not exactly happy with me. The gusts of wind from before howled as storm clouds lingered. Rain started to fall quickly as I stood there, seeing Dimitri's blood on the ground. Slowly, the ring from my finger dropped and at the same time, I dropped to my knees.

"You gave into temptation of the darkness, Roza," Dimitri whispered. I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"I-I…" I stuttered.

"You knew better, Roza. I taught you better than this," Dimitri scolded me. "I may be the love of your life, but I am also your teacher and I will tell you this. You really disappointed me with your foolish act back there," Each word cut into my heart. Vladmir left us alone. Dimitri tried to reach for me, but I moved just out of his reach. "Roza, I'm ordering you to come here," He spoke firmly now, regaining his strength. I shook my head and backed away. Now I knew how Vikki felt. Dimitri, though loving, in situations like this, was not one to be trifled with. "NOW!" I flinched and when I looked at him, he saw the streams of tears flowing from my eyes. He quickly saw my hands as they were shaking. I tried to stand to walk over, but my legs had absolutely no strength in them. My arms couldn't even push me up from the ground. Instead, I just kept crying. "Roza, do not make me repeat myself," He threatened. I couldn't find any courage to go to him.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered.

"Roza, come here," He ordered once more, but I shook my head. Dimitri, holding onto his side that I kicked, finally crawled far enough to touch me. He took my hand and pulled me back over to the tree where he leaned against earlier. "Can you move?" He asked. I shook my head. Using his strength he got me to crawl to him. When I got to his lap, I finally collapsed onto him, no energy to move. No energy to think, no energy to speak anymore. My heart was trembling and I didn't know what to feel anymore. I was scared, confused, hurt, but most of all disappointed in myself that I had given into Daryl so easily. As I kept crying in the rain, Dimitri just brushed my hair.

"I'm sorry. I caused all of this. If I didn't anger you, things wouldn't have come to this. I made you do something traumatic and I'm so sorry, Roza." He kissed my neck and I shook beneath him. Quickly, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He played a melody from his cell phone and I looked at it, half consciously. Giving the cell phone to me, I grabbed onto it as tight as I could, hearing it play over and over again. Everything around me felt strange and unfamiliar to me so I stayed close to Dimitri. "Shh…you poor thing. I'm so sorry…" He gently picked me up into his arms as he carried me back to his house. Along the way, he kept me conscious by talking to me, forcing me to respond to him. When we arrived, Vladmir had shown up already and explained the situation.

"Dimka?" Olena spoke up.

"Shh…" My eyes drooped and Vladmir followed us upstairs. There, Vladmir had laid out some towels on the bed as Dimitri laid me down. "Will she be okay?"

"She'll be fine…hopefully. At this point in time, the mark shouldn't cause any trouble since she expelled the darkness, but her mental state, I'm not too sure…" I felt Vladmir's power course through me as he checked for any injuries.

"Can I…?" Dimitri tried to ask.

"She seems fine at the moment. Give it a shot," Dimitri came close to me but I backed away.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm just trying to see if you're alright. Does anything hurt? Does anything…?" I tried to push him away with my hands but whimpered instead. "Her wrist! Her wrist is hurt," Vladmir came over and I cowered towards Dimitri.

"Easy girl. I'm just trying to help…" He whispered calmly and quietly. I growled and snarled at him.

"I think we have more than just a problem. She's not talking. And you know that when she doesn't talk, there's more than meets the eye," Vladmir told Dimitri. I looked at my hands as they were still shaking, grabbing onto the cell phone tightly.

"Roza, sweetheart, are you alright?" When Dimitri touched my hair, I flinched away from him, only shaking my head. As he kept touching me, finally I cried out.

"STOP!" And just that word, sent Vladmir and Dimitri into the walls of the room. I was terrified of this power to the point it was unbelievable. Daryl, in few words, almost made me kill Dimitri. I guess I deserved to be told 'I told you so.' Dimitri had warned me, but like always, I didn't listen. Well, this was definitely one of the times I would regret it in my life. Olena and the others finally came up to see what was going on. Dimitri told them to stand back because it wasn't safe for them to be near me.

"I…" I tried to speak up. Dimitri was listening intently. "I…I…I need…to go home…" I started to get up off the bed.

"You still need to recover. You're not going anywhere," Vladmir grabbed my wrist. I winced in pain.

"GET OFF ME!" I screamed and Vladmir got pushed back.

"Angel, not another step," Vladmir threatened.

"Stop telling me what to do!" I yelled. Dimitri reached for me and I took a step back. I looked at Vladmir. "Vladmir, I know I deserve a 'I told you so.' But right now, I'm at a breaking point so just leave me alone," I walked to Dimitri and handed him back the ring. "Until you can forgive me, I probably shouldn't keep it." After that, I jumped out the window and took flight, heading back to the school.

"Roza!" I closed my eyes, trying not to look back, heading straight for the school. Right about now, going back to Nathan sounded better than anything on earth. I flew as fast as I can. When I got back to the school, Stan and everyone else ran out to see me. I looked for Nathan.

"Rose!" He ran and hugged me as I started to cry. "Hey…what's wrong?" I just shook my head. "Rose…my God, what happened to you?"

"I…I almost…killed Dimitri…" I told him.

"You what? Why?" He pulled back but I just kept crying.

"Nathan, phone call from Belikov!" Stan ran over and I quickly backed up. What would they think when they found out about me? Nathan looked at me warily when taking the phone call. That was it. I couldn't return home.

"I understand," Nathan hung up, tossing the phone back to Stan. "Rose, there's nothing to be scared of," He slowly came towards me and hugged me. "You've had a rough time, didn't you?" I just nodded. When things calmed down, Nathan brought me to his room. He took a towel and started to wipe my eyes. "You'll be alright. You're back home now. No one can hurt you. Remember my promise? I haven't broken it yet and I have no intention to either," He brushed my hair aside.

"Nathan…what do I do? I almost killed Dimitri because I was too weak. Daryl…he…he used my anger and turned me against Dimitri," He brushed my hair.

"You're not weak. Don't ever tell yourself that. Everyone has insecurities. He just took advantage of them. But Rose, everyone has these weak points. It's our job to not let people know them, but you're still a teen. You haven't learned that yet. Through life, you'll find out how to cover those weak points. It's just bad luck that Daryl got to you. So don't be too hard on yourself. Look, Dimitri's coming back soon and he's not angry at you. He said he forgives you too so don't cry," He wiped my tears. "So can you smile for me?" He asked kindly. I shook my head though.

"I can't do this…I'm always a danger to Dimitri. I'm always hurting him and I don't know how to stop. I love him, but I can't live up to those words. I'm just not good enough, Nathan. I'm getting worn out…" I told him. He gave me a kiss.

"See? Those are your weak points. Something aggravated you and it's just become more apparent. But it's normal. Come on, get some rest. You've had a long week," He tucked me into his bed. Dimming the lights, he stayed closeby.

"Don't leave…" I begged him.

"I don't plan to. Right now, you can just relax. I'll be here," He held my hand tight as I started to sleep. "Shh…everything's going to be okay. I'm here," He stroked my back, trying to calm me down as much as possible. When I coughed, he kept rubbing my back. "It's alright now. Don't worry…" Before I knew it, I fell asleep, exhausted from crying and heartbreaking.

_Late evening…_

"Nathan?" I started to wake. "Nathan?" I sat up and saw a dark figure in the corner. Startling me, I screamed.

"Woah! It's just me!" Nathan woke up. He quickly turned on the lights and I figured out that he was the dark figure. I was gasping and he quickly soothed me. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Nothing can hurt you while I'm here. It's just me," He made me look at him intently. "It's just me." He calmed me pretty quickly.

"Jeez, you scared me," I sighed. He gave me a quick hug. Stan barged in.

"Is everything alright? I heard a scream," He was looking around.

"It's alright, Guardian Alto. I just startled her. That's all," Stan sighed, coming over to check up on me too.

"I heard what happened to her. Rose, is everything alright?" I nodded, a bit hesitantly, but still pretty sure about my answer.

"Yeah…I'm fine. I'm okay…" My voice shook a bit. Nathan had left to get me a cold towel. Slowly, he dabbed my forehead a bit.

"Seems like you woke up from a nightmare," Nathan spoke calmly. I didn't answer.

"Is…Dimitri back?" Stan smiled a bit.

"Yes. He's in his room resting. Vladmir's healing him at the moment. Go see him. He misses you," I looked down.

"I can't…I did that to him…I don't deserve to see him anymore," I whispered.

"Rose, you did something that was out of your control. You're not at fault here. If anyone's at fault, it's Daryl. He did this to you," Stan comforted me. "How about we all go see him together?" I looked at them.

"I don't know…"

"Come on. It'll be alright. We'll all be protecting you so in case anything happens, you'll be out of harm's reach," Nathan suggested. He took my hand gently and I went along with it in the meantime. My heart pounded as I heard and felt every beat. Stan and Nathan each held onto my hand tight as we walked together to Dimitri's room. Before we got to his door, I found myself, starting to try to escape.

"It's alright. Rose, just calm down…it's going to okay. No one will hurt you without getting through us first. You're scared of Dimitri and that's understandable. But you have to see him eventually. We'll be here to protect you. Don't worry," Nathan told me. When Nathan knocked on the door, I hid behind them, completely shielding myself from anyone's view.

"Come in," It was Vladmir's voice.

"Belikov, someone's here to see you," Nathan spoke up.

"Oh? Who is it?" I walked out slowly and carefully.

"Rose! You're alright!" Dimitri came quickly at me and I freaked out. I stopped breathing for a minute and without a doubt, Nathan held Dimitri back while Stan shielded me.

"Belikov, you can't see her. She's only here to check up on you, but you cannot approach or touch her. She's terrified of you. Please understand that," Nathan explained. I was shaking and Stan whispered soothing words while he pressed me against the door.

"It's going to be okay. Just take deep breaths," Stan instructed me as I felt completely cornered.

"I can't…I can't breathe…I…" I grabbed the door handle and Stan held me close.

"Don't do it. I'm here. Nathan's here. It's alright…he's not going to hurt you," Stan comforted me. "Here," He sat me down and held my head between my knees. "Take in deep breaths," I followed his instructions.

"Roza…"

"Belikov, I don't know what happened out there, but your father…Your father did quite the job on her. She's terrified of you head to toe," Nathan explained. I started squirming a bit.

"Rose? Rose, stop. It's going to be okay," Stan tried to hold me still, but I kept reaching for the door knob. Nathan released his hold on Dimitri and Dimitri stopped attempting to get to me. Vladmir walked to me and I flinched.

"I'm sorry, Lord Vladmir, but this includes you too," Stan finally spoke up to them.

"Rose, I warned you, didn't I?" Vladmir scolded me.

"Hey!" Nathan pushed Vladmir back. I tried to curl up as tightly as I could as Stan tried to get me to relax. "She's been through a lot already! Give her a break! She's just a kid!" Nathan defended me. "She still can make mistakes. So stop antagonizing her, alright?" Nathan yelled back.

"Do not tell me what I can and cannot do. I created her to be the angel. I am technically her master," Vladmir pushed Nathan back.

"No. You didn't create her. Rose is a happy, playful, brave, fun-loving girl. This girl isn't Rose. What you created, this angel you guys keep talking about. That's not her. You destroyed Rose and if it wasn't for the fact you're some high up God everyone talks about, I would've killed you in an instant," Nathan argued back to Vladmir.

"STOP!" I yelled. Finally, I turned the door knob and ran out.

"I really hope you're happy," Stan told them before pursuing after me. "Rose! It's alright! You don't have to run!" I stopped running instantly as Stan caught up to me. I had tears welling in my eyes. "Shh…I'm here. Don't worry. There's no need to cry. Forget what Lord Vladmir said. He's just venting," Nathan eventually came out, more like storming out. He slammed his fist against the wall. "Nathan, take it easy now," Stan told Nathan. I turned and looked at the door that was wide open now.

"You guys stay here," I told them.

"You sure? It's better if we come with you," Stan suggested. I shook my head.

"I'll be okay. Nathan, thank you. You gave me the courage I needed," They looked at me worriedly. I didn't know if I was all talk or not, but whatever it was, I had the chance to go back in and talk to Dimitri. When I got to the door, I froze up though. Turning slowly back to them, I gave them a nervous smile. "I take back what I said. Someone come with me?" Stan smiled and came with me, sending Nathan back to his room. He grabbed onto my hand.

"Remember what I said. Nothing to fear for," We walked in together and when I finally took a good look at Dimitri, his torso was wrapped with bandages. I flinched a bit at the sight. I had done that to him.

"Rose…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you…" Dimitri spoke up. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. Stan gave me a nudge towards him and I looked back.

"Nothing to fear for," He reminded me. Stan quickly took Vladmir by the arm and technically threw him out. "I'm sorry, but you're not needed here in the meantime. Wait with Nathan. You two can bicker as much as you guys want. We actually have something to fix," I looked back as Stan actually slammed the door in Vladmir's face. "God, I thought he'd never leave," I started to laugh and both of them stared at me. I quickly stopped.

"That was the most beautiful laugh I have ever heard," Dimitri smiled. I tried to look away, blushing a bit. "I know this is a stupid question, little missy," Dimitri started up his accent and I smiled. "But I was pondering about whether this is the Rose I know and love," I started to laugh again. Stan smiled too. "By golly, Stan, I think I've fixed her up!" Dimitri exclaimed. I finally gave into his accent and continued to laugh. When I stopped, I sighed. "Are you feeling better now?" Dimitri returned to his Russian accent. My smile dropped almost instantly.

"Uh oh…" Stan looked warily at me.

"Why are you still joking around? I almost killed you…" I told Dimitri.

"It was an accident. Things got out of control and you stopped in time. That was the important part," He told me. "Roza, love, we make mistakes. I've made my fair share of mistakes and you've barely made any. Today was just one that was made after a long while. To be honest, yes, I am disappointed at you. But I'm not mad at you, nor do I hate you. So there's no need to run or hide from me. I know you're scared of this power and it's caused you to be scared of yourself. But we all have to grow up and be stronger than what we are now. You're still growing, and I'm still growing. So we can still make mistakes as long as we learn from them," He lectured me. "Come here," I didn't move. Looking back at Stan, he nodded and gave me another nudge over. Dimitri put me on his bed. "See? Nothing to be afraid of," He told me. "How about I make a deal with you?" He asked.

"What deal?" I asked back.

"How about as long as I don't give up this relationship, you won't either," He suggested, then showing me the ring again. It still shone as beautifully as it did when Dimitri had first purchased it. "Promise?" I took the ring from his hand and stared at it.

"Promise," I slipped the ring back on as Dimitri kissed me. When I looked at Stan again, he smiled.

"See? Problem fixed," He spoke up.

"Thank you, Guardian Alto, for bringing her here," Dimitri told Stan. _'Not so fast.'_ I jerked upright as the voice returned. _'You're in my control. Understand?'_ I slumped over onto Dimitri.

"Rose!" Stan came over as the mark started to burn again. "What's going on?"

"He's back! Rose, hang in there!" The mark started to spread and darkness soon clouded my mind again. _'Leave me alone!' _I argued back. _'You are mine!'_ I felt my mind go blank as I got up off the bed. "Rose, fight him back!" I shook my head but whatever was controlling me was strong. _'Give in…'_ Finally, my body couldn't take it and started moving on its own. "Rose!" Dimitri came after me.

"I must return to master. He's waiting for me…" I mumbled. My wings grew out as I flew to wherever the voice came from. _'You have to fight him!' _Vladmir's voice came through. I blocked it out and kept flying. I left the wards and saw Daryl standing there. He motioned his hand and I landed.

"That's a good angel. You're starting to resist more and I can't have that happen," He held his hand on my wrist and the burning sensation stopped. I stood in front of him as he held me close to him. "Just relax…my angel…" I saw the mark crawl up and I tried to pull away. When the mark crawled to my forearm, he stopped and I slumped against him.

"Roza! Father, let go of her!" Dimitri yelled. My body was completely out of energy as I could only watch.

"She belongs to me, now. Isn't that right, Roza dear?" Daryl's voice slowly merged into Dimitri's and I nodded.

"Roza, snap out of it! He's tricking you!" Dimitri yelled. Finally, my mind seemed to stop working and Daryl took me.

"Time to go home with your master," Daryl commanded and I followed his order.

"Yes, master," I mumbled somewhat incoherently.

"That's a good girl. Now, time to go," He chanted some spell.

"Roza! Come back! I love you!" I suddenly snapped out of it.

"No!" I pushed back and Daryl stopped. "This shouldn't be happening," The mark burned and I looked at it slowly creeping upwards. "Dimitri!" Dimitri ran over to me and shielded me. Nathan stood in front of me too.

"One more time. Next time we meet, she won't be the Roza you knew, my son. She will be my angel of destruction," Daryl disappeared and I returned to my terrified state.

"Roza!" I quickly jerked backwards.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed. Both of them stopped. Dimitri collapsed to his knees.

"No…Roza…it's us…don't you recognize us?" I started to hyperventilate.

"Nathan, go get Vladmir!" Nathan dashed off. I quickly got up and walked backwards.

"Roza…I won't hurt you. It's me, it's Dimitri," Dimitri came closer to me but I stayed a distance away. My hands shook and when I looked down, I saw the ring. _'Why was this still on me?'_ I tried to take it off.

"Your promise, Roza!" I looked at it again. _'Promise?'_ Vladmir ran out.

"Rose!" Vladmir ran out. Somehow words I normally wouldn't say came out.

"Master…Vladmir…" He looked at me oddly, and then moved my sleeve up. The mark had grown.

"Damn…Rose, I told you to fight him," He touched the mark and it receded some. "Dimitri, we need to have someone with her at all times now. One more time and her mind will turn back to the last girl who was the host of the angel."

"What happened to the last girl?" Dimitri asked.

"Dimitri…that host…was your mother…She betrayed me for her love of your father…" I looked, shocked now. Dimitri had probably the same face.

"Olena…was the host? Why didn't you say something before? What about Yeva?" I asked.

"Grandmother Yeva was never a host. But she was the one who suggested Olena be the host because no one would suspect her. Dimitri, my powers are as much yours as they are Rose's. Please use it to protect her," Dimitri was still in a state of shock.

"So…that means…"

"Rose, meet your new master and formal master. Master Dimitri," I looked at him, terribly confused.

"I…wait…what?" Dimitri walked over to me and touched my wrist. Soon the mark that Daryl made soon disappeared, turning into the letter 'D' instead.

"Dimitri, she is yours now to protect. I can still protect Rose, but you are close to her so you have more liability here. Can I trust that you will protect her?" Dimitri nodded firmly. "Good. All of us have a mark on her, the rose, the 'V' and the 'D' now. The rose mark is still there, don't get me wrong. But as long as Dimitri keeps you close, Rose, the rose weakens meaning Daryl loses his grip on you. Which, sadly means that he'll come more often too," I nodded. _'Daryl, you're not going to get away with this easily.'_ I sent a message to him. _'Little girl, don't count on it.'_

**Well, isn't this quite the interesting turn of events. I really hope you guys enjoyed this. It's one of my longer chapters! Rose is struggling to improve herself, but she is getting there now that Dimitri can take control of her. **

**Hey, reviews have dropped significantly so please try to keep it up. I usually wait until I have eight or more to update and due to summer, it's dropping. I'm grateful for all the reviews and faves, but maybe the people who have this on favorite or alert could review? Thanks! Usually a chapter gets about 8 reviews or more, and last chapter only had 4 reviews, so please keep it up! I hope it's not too much of a hassle! Thanks again!**


	32. Chapter 32: Battle Experience!

**So here's chapter 32! Thanks to Twilighternproud, SassYNoles, gopherluv, WildChildBornGood, olivia williams, loventherussian17, VampGirl4EverandEver, roseskyangel, DimitrisXmyXman, Do'B, 17cowgirl, and MarianneNorthmanCullen for the amazing reviews! The number grew by an extraordinary amount and I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! Keep it up! You guys are amazing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters except my own.**

**Chapter 32**

_One week later…_

"Rose, why don't you take a break?" I looked and saw Dimitri starting to get up after sitting and watching me practice for hours. "Look, you're worn out already. Using all that power is going to hurt you if you don't stop," I ignored him and kept attacking the punching bag. I had no time to waste. If Daryl was going to come back, I had to be ready. Enough was enough. I threw punches and kicks, trying to combo against the punching bag.

"Rose, that is an order!" He finally yelled. I stopped instantly, glaring at him. "I hate to keep using my powers like this over you, but you'll hurt yourself. Keep in mind, I promised Vladmir I would guard you and that's something I plan to keep," I ignored him. "Look, your attitude has been bad ever since my father last came. Did something happen?" He asked.

"I don't have time to waste anymore," I started hitting the punching bag once more.

"Angel, I command you to stop!" The mark on my wrist instantly shocked me, paralyzing me. "Enough, Rose. When I say stop, you stop. I know you want to train and get stronger, but you're only hurting yourself," He finally put away the punching bag while I was still stuck to where I was because of the mark. When it was put away, he sighed. "Dispel!" The mark stopped glowing and I was free to move again.

"What would you know?" My emotions started becoming fueled by darkness.

"I know my father. That's what I know. You're not going to beat him like this," He told me calmly. "Now, revert back before you collapse," He ordered. I transformed back to my regular form. "Roza, it's been a hard week for you. You're still getting the hang of things. Here," He tossed me my water bottle and I caught it. "How are you doing in your studies? How are your grades?"

"They're fine," I mumbled.

"Roza, I'm not your enemy so no need to have this attitude with me," I looked at him before relaxing. After what happened with Daryl last time, my mood has been terrible and even I knew it.

"Sorry…" I apologized.

"It's understandable. Come here, love," I tried to smile as I went to him, sitting on his lap. "It's been awhile since the two of us were alone," He gave me a kiss and I kissed him back with the same passion. He wrapped his arm around me and held me close. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are when you fight?" He complimented. I blushed a bit and apparently that rewarded me with another kiss. It was nice. It had been a week since Daryl last showed up and maybe Dimitri's mark was working. But nonetheless, I still had to be careful about my temper because once I lose it, that would be Daryl's chance to get at me.

"Come on, isn't it time for my history class?" Dimitri joked. I smirked and kissed him.

"Or we can both ditch, Lord Belikov" I suggested while joking.

"Not on my watch, Roza. Nice try," I laughed as he helped me up. "Come on. Run to the classroom so I can't mark you late," When I stepped out the gym, the wind gently blew my hair and I sighed. It was nice actually to not have to fight seriously the past week. Training bit by bit, I was finally getting back into the swing of things. "Ah, before I forget. Here," I looked in his hand and saw a pill. "Vladmir created this for you so when you use your powers, your heart doesn't give out on you," I quickly took it with the water then stuck my tongue back out.

"Man, that tastes awful!" I fake gagged.

"Angel, it's medicine. It's not supposed to taste good," He joked. I rinsed my mouth out with some water. "Get to class. I'll meet you there in five," I started running to class. Then I stopped again to look back at Dimitri, walking instead of running, behind me.

"Lord Belikov?" He stopped to look at me.

"Yes, my love?" I smiled back at him.

"Thank you," I ran back to him to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading to class. He kissed me back and nudged me to hurry up. Before I knew it, my mood was back to normal. I hummed and ran to class. Now Dimitri and I had our acting routine of teacher and student. I ran into the classroom as the class cheered.

"Safe again, Hathaway!" Some of the guys cheered.

"Thank you. Thank you very much," I said, in my best imitation of Elvis Presley.

"Ahem. Rose, please get to your seat," I turned slowly and saw Dimitri giving me an evil grin. _'Watch it, love. You're in my territory now.'_ He sent me a telepathic message. The class started to laugh.

"Busted!" I stuck my tongue back at Dimitri and the guys before heading to my seat.

"Class, please pass up last night's homework," I instantly froze. '_Shit…I forgot about it…'_ Dimitri looked at me right after that though. _'Forgot your homework, again?'_ He gave me a look from his podium while I had a look of nervousness.

"Care to tell me where your homework is, Miss Hathaway?" Dimitri was starting to have his fun.

"I…wait, here it is!" I took out a piece of paper and quickly wrote on it.

_Damn you. You know I forgot my homework. Stop being like Stan! :P_

After I finished writing it and passed it up, Dimitri looked at me and smirked. I smirked back.

"You can't win this, Dimitri," I decided to cross the line by saying his first name.

"Uh huh. That's Lord Belikov to you, Angel," I bit my tongue.

"Two can play at that, Lord Belikov," I teased him as the class burst into laughter. I played around with a shadow ball and shot it at him, purposely missing by no more than a centimeter though. He stood his ground, knowing it would miss.

"And we have a winner! The lucky prize is…a detention!" Dimitri spoke sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at him and got up to leave class. "And where do you think you're going?" He asked. I looked at him seriously and saw that he was no longer joking. _'Enough, Rose. Sit down.'_ Now I got pissed. He was using his powers to the point of bossy. He was simply supposed to protect me. Not boss me around. The class noticed the tension and quickly quieted down. _'You can't keep telling me what I can and can't do!'_ I glared at him. _'Is that so? Watch me.'_ The mark started to burn a bit then stopped. "Miss Hathaway, I do suggest you get back to your seat. Now," I bit my lip. I felt the darkness creeping up behind me. The 'D' mark started to fade as the rose slowly reformed. A giant force from Dimitri's powers hit me from behind, nudging me back to my seat.

"Don't test me!" I growled. The class instantly backed into a corner and Dimitri stopped. I could tell he was trying to focus in on the mark, but his mark had disappeared. _'If you want to challenge him, fight him.'_ Daryl's voice sounded through my mind. I focused on my powers and slowly erased the mark and returned Dimitri's mark on my wrist. However, my powers had activated nonetheless as I stormed out of class. Who was he to tell me what to do? As I blew off some steam, I stormed down the hallway. When I looked midway, I noticed that he wasn't following me. That's right. He couldn't look after me. He had a class to teach still. _'Man, I'm out of it. Whatever. I won't be helping him if I stay.'_ As I wandered through the halls, I saw teachers staring at me. I saw Stan and tugged at him a bit.

"Rose, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" He pulled me off to the side to talk to me. I sighed.

"Yeah…I kind of blew up at Dimitri though. And then Daryl nagged at me to attack him so I stopped and just left class before I did any real damage," I explained.

"Then just apologize. It's not that hard to fix," He told me.

"Easier said than done, Alto. My temper has gone short the past week. This isn't the first time I've pissed Dimitri off," Suddenly in the middle of class, I saw Dimitri come out of his class to look around.

"Now's your chance," Stan whispered as he nudged me toward Dimitri's line of sight. Dimitri, as predicted, walked over. Stan backed far enough to give us privacy, but close enough to overlook the situation in case anything would get out of line.

"Rose, what's going on with you? One minute you're good and the next minute, you try to overthrow my power in class," I flinch as he scolds me. I look at him intently. _'Your power in class or power over me?'_ I ask him. "What do you mean my power over you?" I sigh.

"Dimitri, ever since Vladmir gave you possession over me, you've done nothing but tell me what to do. You may be my master, but I will not treat you like one. You are my teacher and lover. That's all. But you can't keep telling me what I can and cannot do!" I retorted. He looked stunned and surprised. "I'm sorry…your father…he's just been picking at me and I just don't have the energy to fight you off too," I walked off back to Dimitri's room. When I got there, I closed the door, locked it and sighed. _'That's right, get angry at him…'_ Daryl's voice returned. I tried to ignore it. _'He is controlling you. You're right. He's telling you what to do. He's treating you like a child.'_ I sighed. _'Look, you're no better. Just leave me alone. You've nagged at me the entire week. Just one day, shut the hell up.'_ I laid down on the floor as the cool feeling of the wooden floor calmed me. A knock came at the door, but I didn't bother getting it. Instead, I just closed my eyes to relax. This was as good as it would get in terms of controlling my temper.

"Rose, it's me. Open the door," Dimitri knocked from the other side. I just laid still. He had a key card. He could get in himself. "Rose! Are you in there?" I did my best to block out the noise. _'Look, he's bothering you again.' _I growled. _'Shut up!'_ I finally let Dimitri's mark on my wrist glow to kick out Daryl. When it was quiet again, I just relaxed. Right as I was about to fall asleep, exhausted from all the mental bickering, I climbed into bed and just laid on top of it. My wings emerged and they gently wrapped around me like a blanket. I somehow grew nauseous and tried to rest. When I saw Dimitri's mark glow, my temperature started to rise. "Rose, I'm coming in!" Suddenly Dimitri slammed the door open. "Rose! Hey! Are you okay?" Dimitri came to me instantly as I laid on the bed, eyes closed. He felt my forehead. "Damn. Why the hell are you burning up?" I heard him turn on the sink in the bathroom. When the fauct was turned off, he came back. "Revert back, angel," Using his powers, my wings disappeared as he laid me on my back. He dabbed the cold towel on my forehead and I slowly opened my eyes.

"Dimitri…" He smiled gently.

"Hey…just relax. Everything's going to be okay," He cooed to me. I saw a bucket of cold water next to him as he soaked the towel again, then wrung the towel out. This time he put it on my forehead and let it stay there.

"I'm sorry…" I apologized. He smiled again.

"Shh…just relax. We'll talk about it later," I smiled. I could feel his worry though as my temperature continued to rise. He quickly re-soaked the towel and placed it again on my forehead. "Shh…everything's going to be okay," I started to shift uncomfortably. "Is something bothering you? Does it hurt anywhere?" He asked quietly. I started to cry as it hit unbearable. I barely could move my body and my headache grew worse. "Damn. This isn't working. I'm taking you to the infirmary," He quickly picked me up and started running out the room and down the hall. In a couple of minutes, everything was a blur as I heard people rushing around and as Dimitri kept calling my name, begging me to stay awake.

"Rose, this will just be a pinch," I felt a needle go up my forearm and I cried out.

"Shh…Roza, dear, it's alright. It's just the IV needle," Dimitri hugged me to prevent me from fighting back. "Just calm down…"

"She's going to be okay. Just give her time to rest," Dimitri sighed and slowly got off me.

"You're going to be okay. Just take it easy…Hey, Doc, what's wrong with her exactly?" Dimitri asked.

"Oh, nothing. She's just exhausted. Just make sure she drinks a lot of water and stays hydrated," I turned to my side, but Dimitri pulled me back.

"Try to stay still," I rested uncomfortably so my power activated. "Rose! Calm down," I turned side to side, thrashing a bit. "Rose, please, calm down!" Dimitri tried to hold me still. Suddenly I broke free from the IV and curled up, surrounding myself with an aura sphere. _'Rose…'_ I heard Dimitri's thoughts. _'Rose…please be alright…'_ The aura around me was comforting. I opened my eyes, still in the sphere as I saw Vladmir come in.

"Lord Vladmir, please, what's wrong with Rose?" Dimitri asked worriedly.

"Haha, nothing's wrong. Her powers are healing her. Like a sphere of IV medicine if you put it. She's fine, like a fish in a fishtank," I expanded the sphere, giving me more room to move or swim. Funny, I could breathe underwater or in the bubble, but I didn't speak, trying not to push my luck. "Rose, you're okay, right?" Vladmir asked. I nodded and flipped around in the bubble. It was like a personal fish tank. It was decently fun to be honest. The water in the bubble felt nice and soothing. Like a mini swimming pool. My clothes weren't wet either.

"Roza, are you feeling better?" I nodded to Dimitri as he put his hand on the bubble. I matched his hand print and he smiled. I could sense him relaxing now that he was reassured that I was going to be alright.

"Let's just let her rest in it for the next couple of days. She'll be fine," Vladmir reassured again.

"Can I bring her back to my room?" Dimitri asked.

"Sure. I think she should be able to stay in the aura yet swim over to your room," I smiled at Dimitri and turned into a mermaid figure so I could swim mid-air. _'Man, that sounds so weird.'_ Dimitri chuckled at my thought. I smiled back at him.

"Come on. Why don't you just relax back at our room? I'm sure you'd like that better," I nodded. I started swimming as the aura followed me. Dimitri walked behind me. I kept smiling at him now that I was feeling better. "If you keep swimming backwards, you'll hit someone," He teased. I stuck my tongue out at him and swam around him in my aura. "Is it fun?" He asked. I nodded and smiled. _'You have no idea. It feels amazing too. Like a swimming pool that follows you.'_ I told him. "Careful!" I looked and saw Nathan. _'Shit!'_ I pulled up quickly and swam above him.

"Rose!" He smiled. I waved back and dashed off.

"Roza, wait up!" The two of them took pursuit after me.

"What's up with the glow aura thing?" Nathan asked. I stopped and smiled at them.

"She wasn't feeling too well earlier. The aura is just healing her, but she still has mobility. Let's say she's swimming in mid-air," Dimitri explained. Wow, that sounded weird coming from him too. I laughed.

"To be honest, I can talk," When their jaws dropped, best sight on earth. Too bad I didn't have a camera.

"And now she's making us look like fools…isn't she…" Nathan added to Dimitri's comment. Dimitri nodded. "I haven't seen her this happy in a long while," Nathan admired. I swam around them.

"Catch me if you can!" I teased them, heading back to our room.

"I don't have to," Dimitri spoke in a stuck up attitude.

"Why not?" I asked.

"You'll see," I looked back at him while swimming backwards.

"I don't get you…bang!" I froze a bit as I realized why. I had slammed into the door of our room…backwards. Nathan and Dimitri started laughing.

"I still get the last laugh on her," Dimitri joked with Nathan. I slid against the door, thankfully protected by the aura still.

"Ouch…Dimitri, you jerk!" I yelled.

"Payback for making us look like idiots," I sighed. Guess I had that coming. I opened the door and then things changed from there. The place had been ransacked. We all froze there. _'Where's the book?' _I started looking everywhere as quickly as I could. _'The book's gone!' _I looked at Dimitri. _'What book?'_ He asked back. _'A spell book. Vladmir gave that to me because they were commands that you had to learn! I didn't have time to give it to you so I hid it. I can't find it. Dimitri, that book has all the secrets to this power!' _Dimitri was serious now and he was frantically looking for it. Explaining the situation, Nathan was looking too.

"Why can't I find it?" I spoke out loud.

"Is this it?" Dimitri showed me an ancient looking book. I looked through it and sighed.

"Yeah…" I relaxed. They sighed too. "Who would do this?" I looked around for any clues.

"I don't know. But whoever it was, Rose, I'll find them. I promise," Dimitri told me. Opening the book, he found a spell. "Ready to regain everything? There's a reversing time spell," I nodded. "Parareru, parareru, reverse!" I called out with Dimitri. My power activated and our things were put back into place. Since nothing was missing, everything was set. "Roza, to be honest, I think someone was looking for this book," I looked at him.

"I have that feeling too and I know who it is. The scent is still in here," I told Dimitri.

"Who is it?" Nathan asked.

"Annabelle," I looked at the door and saw her giving a wicked grin as she stood by the door.

"Annabelle, why would you do this?" Dimitri asked.

"I don't have to answer to you," When she looked up, her eyes glowed. She threw a shadow ball at me and I slammed into the bookshelf. The aura around me burst and a shield came up.

"Dimitri, your father…is controlling her. She's a duplicate angel…" Annabelle came at me and I threw her out the window. She stopped herself with her own set of wings though. I flew out and Dimitri watched from the balcony. I quickly transformed too. "Dimitri, grab the book!" He took it and it opened on it's own. "Shadow ball!" I sent a ball of dark energy at Annabelle and she dodged it. "Your father's close too," I saw him standing near the forest on the edge of campus. "Daryl!" He stepped out and chuckled.

"Hello dear one. Like my new creation?" I bit my lip.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded.

"Nothing. She came to me. It's easier to take her because she has the edge I need. She has the strength and anger to fuel herself," He explained.

"Annabelle, shadow ball!" She shot a shadow ball back at me and I dodged it. "She's your clone. Like it?"

I dove after Annabelle and landed a punch on her. She growled and flew back up.

"Roza, ice beam!" Dimitri commanded. A blue glow came from my hands and as I shot the beam at her. Like any duel, it missed and froze part of the ground.

"Damn!"

"Keep your cool, Roza!" Dimitri yelled out. I regained my control and kept careful watch of Annabelle.

"Annabelle, no need to win this. This is only your first battle in this form. Just do your best!" Daryl told Annabelle. She nodded and I got ready. "Annabelle, give her a full on tackle!" Annabelle flew right at me.

"Hold your position, Roza!" I stayed there. _'What are you planning?' _I told Dimitri a message. He smiled so I stayed calm. Dimitri monitored Annabelle's movements too. When Annabelle got close, I flinched.

"HOLD YOUR POSITION!" Dimitri yelled. I grew scared. In a flash, he called out a command. "Roza, aerial ace!" I now knew what it was. I flew downwards and Annabelle followed. I brushed against the horizon and disappeared. Appearing behind Annabelle, I gave her the tackle instead. Then she crashed into a tree. My heart was beating quickly. Dimitri looked at me sternly. He was the master so I had to listen. All the commands, I already learned from reading it. "Finish her off! Roza, ice beam!" I shot another beam at Annabelle but it was deflected by Daryl's intervention. I looked back at Dimitri and he ordered my return. I flew back to him.

"It seems you're getting the hang of mastering Rose," Daryl chuckled. He took Annabelle into his arms and disappeared. I sighed. I had won. Tired, I collapsed onto knees, but I laughed. Dimitri fell back too and chuckled.

"We won. We really won!" I cheered. Dimitri laughed. "That aerial ace…how did you find it?" I asked him. He had no more than a few minutes and we won.

"The index?" He joked. I smiled back at him. "Hey, are you okay? You weren't feeling well earlier. I don't know if I pushed you too hard with those moves," I smiled.

"I'm fine. I actually feel better. But Dimitri…we need to tell Vladmir what happened," Dimitri helped me up as we started to head to her. "Oh and your mother…we need to talk to her too," Dimitri nodded.

"That sounds like a plan. Come on," We headed to Vladmir full speed. When we went there, guess who was there? Yep, Olena was there. "Mama, what are you doing here?" Dimitri asked.

"Vladmir knew you wanted to talk to me. Dimka, Roza, sit. We have a lot to talk about," She smiled. I looked at Dimitri as we all sat somewhere in Vladmir's room. This should be good.

**Well, more powers revealed. If you guys noticed, the powers are taken from Pokémon. Haha. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will be more of a history background of Olena and Vladmir so I hope you guys will enjoy that when it comes out!**

**Please review! They really encourage me to write faster! Thanks!**


	33. Chapter 33: Life Almost Back to Normal

**So here's chapter 33! Sorry for the long wait! Thanks to Emiii611, DimitrisXmyXman, Twilighternproud, Dances With Wolves –Jewelie-, loventherussian17, VampGirl4EverandEver, 17cowgirl, toryho, roseskyangel, Do'B, MarianneNorthmanCullen, gopherluv, and SassYNoles for the many and wonderful reviews! You guys are the best! Thanks and keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the VA characters, plot or Pokémon moves!**

**Chapter 33**

"Here, why don't you guys make yourselves comfortable," Olena kindly told us. Vladmir just gave us a serious look. While Dimitri sat on the bed, I laid my head on his lap, but still facing Vladmir and Olena.

"So where do you guys start?" I asked them. Olena looked at Vladmir and sighed.

"Vlad, maybe it's time we tell them everything. Starting from the beginning," Olena suggested. Vladmir sighed and started.

"It was back when I knew Olena's mother, or Dimitri's grandmother, Yeva. She, being the one with weird powers and all, sensed that I was out on a mission. I was looking for a specific person. At first, I thought she was just a fake psychic, so I walked off. That was until she spoke to me in Russian. She said, "You are looking for my daughter." That's when I looked at her. So I asked her how much she knew and believe it or not, she told me back the exact same mission I was going on. So we talked and I told her the whole story about the angel of darkness and all. She didn't look one bit surprised. Olena came running in, no more than five. She was innocent meaning she couldn't harbor feelings just yet. So after talking to Olena, she, even as a five year old said that she wanted to help me. I thought she didn't understand what I was telling her so I told her in different ways, but nonetheless the end result was the same. So we did the whole transfer process. It didn't hurt her at all so no worries," I stopped Vladmir.

"Wait, Olena, why did you say yes?" I asked her. She laughed.

"I knew I didn't want to be a guardian. But I didn't want to feel worthless so being chosen for that seemed honorable," She explained. "Vladmir, please continue," She told Vladmir.

"As I was saying, she became the host. And all was fine. I came by once a week to check on her physical condition. Nothing was wrong. A few Strigoi came by and she was kidnapped, I believe twice, but I became her guardian so nothing after that really happened," Vladmir told us.

"So what happened?" Dimitri asked Vladmir now.

"She…fell in love with your father," Vladmir answered. "Now I'm not saying falling in love is bad. I mean, look at the two of you. A million fights and heartbreaks but still together," I gave a sarcastic dry laugh. Dimitri hugged me.

"Haha, funny," I replied. He cleared his throat.

"So falling in love isn't bad. But Olena…she fell in love with your father. He didn't love her and at that moment, Olena didn't see it. I did. I saw it clear as day that your father was manipulating her, but I didn't tell your mother. She was already carrying Sonya at that point. Then you, then little Vikki," He spoke.

"Wait, you knew me?" Dimitri asked Vladmir again.

"Not particularly. I mostly visited your mother when you were at school. I didn't want you to know of my existence. But after the beatings started and I found out, your mother, bravely, admitted to me that she no longer could carry the angel's powers. She said that she wasn't suited for it," Olena had a sad smile.

"I couldn't carry the powers anymore without having your father abuse the powers. So like the same transfer process, Vladmir took it back one afternoon when your father was God knows where. After Vladmir took it back, he disappeared. Shortly after, Dimka, you chased your father out," Dimitri now looked upset.

"Now, this was not the first time I was reincarnated so it wasn't too bad going back to heaven," Vladmir added in. "So I carried the powers with me and Anna. Rose, when you got into that car accident with Princess Vasilisa and her family, I took over Prince Andre's body for a split moment. That's when I shielded you with him, knowing his feelings for you. When I used that physical contact, even after his death, I transferred the powers to you. So you weren't born with them. I transferred them when you were unconscious. After that, I left. I hoped that Rose could be simply a host. But I was wrong. I felt bad things happen when Victor came along after Dimitri brought the Lissa and you back to the school. He saw me a couple of times as I watched over you. But he didn't recognize me. Still, for Rose to be found, it was risky. But nonetheless, I was not involved with anything. I went back to heaven to check in with Anna. But couple months after, God told me that you were in harm's way so I had to investigate. That's when I revealed myself to you, Rose. And as for Daryl, he turned Strigoi after Dimitri had killed him…or thought he had killed him. Then when I spied on him for a while, I heard his plans of finding the next host. And during that time, Rose was the host, so that's where we are now," I swore my jaw dropped, and so did Dimitri's. Olena seemed to be slightly amused.

"I'm really sorry, Roza dear. If I had carried the powers a bit longer, this probably wouldn't have happened," Olena apologized. After regaining myself, I smiled back.

"It's not your problem. I can take it from here," I reassured her.

"So that's it. All of it," Dimitri checked to make sure.

"Yes. That's all, Dimka," She nodded her head.

"Now, what was it you came here for? You seemed to be in distress when you came in, Rose," Vladmir didn't miss that apparently.

"We have a problem," I started.

"And that would be?" Vladmir asked.

"Daryl has a clone…so to speak," I spoke vaguely.

"Of?" Vladmir insisted.

"Me. Or the angel so to speak. Annabelle has my powers somehow. He manipulated her and now she's on his side," I confessed. Now Vladmir was worried.

"You're serious. Does he have the book?" Dimitri pulled it out.

"He doesn't, but…Annabelle's mimicking Rose. Every move Rose makes, and misses, Annabelle gains it," Vladmir stood up.

"Oh dear…" Vladmir sighed. "At least you have the book. I can't tell you to be careful any more than I've already told you. That book, Rose, is all you need as well as you Belikov. Rose, you've read through the books and you know most of the moves. All you need to do is practice. Dimitri's your master now. He'll do what's best for you. Rose, currently, from what I can tell, you have the advantage over Annabelle. Keep that advantage. You cannot get careless. Is that understood?" I nodded firmly. Olena stood up.

"Maybe it's time I leave. Yeva's at home," Olena smiled.

"Tell Grandmother Yeva I send her my greetings," Vladmir told her. When she left, we sat in silence. "I'll see what's going on with Annabelle. Dimitri, keep Rose away from her. I don't know all of Annabelle's abilities, and knowing that she harbors heavy hatred upon Rose, I'm afraid she can be more damaging than we think. Dimitri, I'm pulling Rose out of her classes. I'll talk to some teachers so they know and from now on, you'll be her private tutor on every subject so she still can graduate. Rose, that means no slacking from you. I'll be teaching you certain courses too to help out," I sighed.

"Not that easy," Dimitri ruffled my hair a bit. I stood up to leave.

"Is that clear, Rose?" Vladmir asked. I looked at him.

"Yes," I left the door open as I left. Dimitri followed me quietly.

"Is something wrong?" He asked carefully.

"No. Nothing's wrong. I'm just not feeling too well anymore," I had a headache now as I walked down the hall.

"That fight took a lot out of you. We'll just head back and you get some rest," Dimitri spoke. When we got back, I collapsed onto the bed and groaned. "Headache?" I nodded on the bed. "Can you sit up?" I sat up in a daze as he handed me a pill and water. "This should help," I took the medicine and fell back onto the bed, exhausted. "You put up a good fight with Annabelle. I'm proud of you," I smiled at him as I rested on the bed.

"When is this going to be over? All this fighting and what not?" I asked Dimitri, though it was really a rhetorical question. He laughed.

"Well aren't you all grown up? I don't know to be honest. It'll end when it ends. We can't control the future," He answered me.

"I know. Plus…" I teased him.

"What?" He asked, curious apparently.

"That was a rhetorical question," I stated bluntly. For a minute, I heard some type of Russian swear word come from him. I laughed a bit.

"Roza?"

"Yeah?" I slowly stopped my laughter.

"I love you," He told me.

"I love you too," I gave him a kiss. He laid me on his lap, stomach down suddenly. "What are you-" He started to rub my back a bit. I tensed up but relaxed and he continued.

"Just take it easy," He whispered. That was the last thing I heard before I remembered passing out on him.

_Couple hours later…_

"Mm…" I slowly woke up. When I looked around, I saw myself on Dimitri's lap. When I looked at Dimitri, he was asleep. When I got up, he quickly opened his eyes. I stretched, yawned, and got off him. "It's already dinner time. How about we head to the cafeteria?" I asked.

"Sure," We started to make our way to the cafeteria, holding hands for once. I nuzzled against his arm and he smiled. Suddenly he kneeled in front of me.

"Piggy back ride?" I asked. He smiled. I got on him and he carried me to the cafeteria. To be honest, it was fun. I giggled all the way there.

"It's nice to hear that. I haven't heard you laugh for a long time," When we got to the cafeteria, he put me down. "What do you want? I'll get it for you," I smiled at him. _'Pesto pasta with a medium sized Coke.' _I told him. _'On my way.'_ He went to the line as I waited at a table. Soon, I saw Nathan and the others make their way so I waved to them. They nodded and came over.

"So are you feeling better?" Vladmir asked. I looked at him oddly.

"You knew?" I was surprised.

"Little one, I know a lot more than what you give me credit for," I smiled.

"Yeah…I'm just exhausted though," They all looked at me warily. It seemed that every time I said exhausted, it ended up getting worse. Dimitri soon came and gave me my plate of food and drink. "Thanks," Dimitri took his seat next to me. Vladmir was giving me a glare. _'You're still not feeling well. You shouldn't be here. Go back to the room and rest. It's dangerous if you keep tiring yourself out like this!' _Vladmir scolded me. _'I'm fine. Don't worry.' _Vladmir sighed.

"Rose, by the way, before I forget to tell you, we have to start on your private lessons so you can catch up to the other students so you can graduate," Dimitri told me. _'Damn. If it's not one thing, it's another.'_ Dimitri gave me a wicked grin. Now I was the one sighing.

"Fine. Your call," I finished lunch up and headed back to the room. _'Well this is going to be hell.'_ I thought. '_You do know I can hear you, right?'_ Dimitri sent me a message. _'Damn that too.'_ I grumbled as I walked to Dimitri's room. I started looking for my school stuff. _'Wait, isn't Vladmir also teaching me?'_ I asked Dimitri. _'Yeah, but he's after me. Each class so to speak is only for one hour, and we leave you one hour of rest in between so as to monitor your health as well. I'm almost done with lunch. Have you found all the stuff?' _He asked. _'Yep. It's all here…I think. I'll be waiting.'_ I laid on the bed now and waited for him. Within a few minutes, he was in the room.

"Come on, time to get class started first. How about we start with math?" He asked. I looked at him. _'Not much of a choice here.'_ He got started anyways. "So for warm up, how about you do these ten problems first?" He gave me the problems and I looked at them. They weren't too bad so I did them. As Dimitri was reading his cowboy book again, I looked at him now and then. "Is something wrong?" He asked. I shook my head and got working. When I was done, I handed it to him. But the weird thing was, the minute I stood up, I felt light-headed. Oh well, wasn't too bad. Then as time went on, we got on with the lesson. To say the least, it wasn't easy. Dimitri was relentless when it came to academics. He probably got straight A's for all I know. After the hour was over, I closed the text book and workbook. When I stood up to head over to the bed where Dimitri sat, I stopped walking.

"Roza? Are you okay?" I kept getting a weird feeling like something bad would happen soon. I climbed onto the bed in a hurry and laid down before I would collapse. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" He touched my forehead. "You're not warm," He told me.

"Just a bit light-headed," I told him as I closed my eyes. He petted my head as I relaxed on his lap.

"Get some rest, you're still a bit weak," He told me as he read his book. There was a dark presence nearby and I felt it. Thing was, I didn't understand why no one else did. Not even Dimitri. I felt the darkness bubbling within me, carrying the urge to fight whatever the dark presence was. I sat up, no longer light-headed, bursting with energy.

"Roza!"

"Someone's here and they're not supposed to be here," I flew outside and Dimitri quickly picked up the spell book, protecting it carefully. I scanned the area as Dimitri notified the other guardians. As I kept looking, nothing was there. All the guardians came out, but nothing appeared.

"Are you sure it's not a false alarm?" Dimitri asked.

"I know this feeling…" I took out my staff and watched carefully. Something shifted in the bushes and I flew towards it.

"Roza!" Dimitri shouted from the balcony. I tackled whatever was there or whoever it was. When I looked, it was Daryl. I quickly got away from him. _'It's your father!' _I told Dimitri. _'On my way.'_

"What are you doing here?" I growled at him.

"Oh nothing, my dear. You really made it easy. I didn't even have to go to you. You can sense me now. Seems you've learned from your spell book," He chuckled. He was sure getting to me now. I growled at him and he stood up.

"I said, what are you doing here?" I asked him again. Dimitri came down and found me.

"Stay away from her," He ordered. I felt his mark burn again and I bit my tongue.

"Stop it!" I told him and soon the feeling stopped. I looked at my wrist and saw that Dimitri's mark was back. Dimitri quickly used his feelings for me to reinforce his hold on me.

"You can't take her that easily," Dimitri noted to his father.

"Oh yes I can. Watch me. My dear, don't you want to see your mother again?" I froze.

"Mom? She died a long time ago! There's no way I can see her," I sneered.

"Oh, I beg to differ. You know, it's not too hard apparently to find a resurrection spell. Janine, why don't you come here and see your beautiful daughter?" In the distance, my mother really stepped forward.

"Mom…" She smiled a bit at me. Nothing changed. Tears streamed down my eyes as she opened her arms out for me. I ran into them and started to cry.

"Mom, I missed you so much," I told her.

"I missed you too, Rose," She hugged me back. Dimitri looked confused and unsure of what to do.

"Now, if you come with me. I'll be more than glad to let you two be together. Of course with my son too," Daryl suggested.

"I'll never be on your side," Dimitri growled. I looked at my mom.

"Honey, listen to me. I'm not your mother. There's an illusion on me for you. I'm only a lady who actually just looks like her apparently," She whispered to me carefully. "Do not let temptation fool you," She added on.

"Janine, watch it," Daryl warned her. I looked at Dimitri.

"I don't want to hurt you," I told her. She smiled at me.

"You're a big girl now, Rose. You have to do what's right," I nodded and looked at Daryl. _'Rose…'_ I looked at Dimitri, completely unsure of what to do. Both stood there quiet. I glared at Daryl.

"Dispell!" Dimitri yelled out. My powers quickly caused the illusion to fade. The lady standing there was not my mother. It was only a woman who looked like her. She smiled at me.

"Rose, do what's right," She told me.

"Damn you!" Daryl used his powers to throw her into a tree.

"Catch her!" I flew at top speed and caught her before the collision to the tree. I pushed her over to Dimitri before I hit the tree instead. "Rose!" For a minute, my vision blurred, but nonetheless, I had to be strong so I stood up.

"That's enough!" I flew at Daryl and threw him into a tree now. "I'm fed up with you! You take control of people and use them like dolls. But guess what! News flash! You can't control me like you control them. I'm not a doll you can use. I'm not the puppet. I'm a person!" He pushed me back and stood up.

"Look, missy. You're not a person. You're being used by my son right now and you're blind to see it too. Aren't you a puppet for Dimitri and Vladmir?" He challenged. That caught me off guard.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Aren't you a puppet too? You have Dimitri's mark on you, as well as Vladmir's," I hesitated to answer.

"But at least I love her!" Dimitri shouted out which snapped me out of my speechlessness. The woman behind Dimitri looked at me. "Roza, come here!" He roared. I ran over and the lady held me tenderly. "Miss, can I trust you to take care of her?" Dimitri asked.

"Of course," The lady answered, shielding my eyes. She held me tight as I heard Dimitri run and punch Daryl. I tensed but the lady soothed me. "Shh…it's going to be alright," I sobbed. This wasn't Dimitri. This was my Dimitri filled with rage. I struggled to see what was going on. "I promised that I would take care of you. Don't look," I stopped struggling. I heard Dimitri groaning as punches were thrown at him. I finally broke free in one burst and saw Dimitri's father beating him. Running for my life, I shielded Dimitri as what seemed to be the killer punch had it hit Dimitri. The shield formed by magic was broken through and the punch sent me to the ground. Soon Annabelle joined Daryl.

"Master Daryl," She spoke calmly while looking at the both of us. Daryl had his fair share of hits, but because of his strength, he was stronger than Dimitri. Dimitri sat up and coughed a bit.

"You are going to pay!" I tackled Daryl and started hitting him as darkness engulfed me. He groaned in pain as my fist made contact to his body. Tears streamed down my face as I kept punching him. Annabelle tried to pull me off, but with an unknown force from me, she was sent flying into a tree. After what seemed to be several minutes, I slowed my punches. "You…you're despicable," I told him.

"Roza…" Dimitri, still wounded and bleeding finally grabbed me, tearing me away from Daryl. The woman, whose name was still unknown, held me tight. "Everything's going to be okay, sweetheart," She petted my head as my sobs wracked my body. When Annabelle took Daryl away, Dimitri looked at me but the woman shielded me away from him.

"I-" He was immediately cut off.

"Mr. Belikov, a girl's heart is the weakest when it has been hurt. This girl has been more than hurt so I cannot allow you to see her weakened form when she loves you. I'm sorry," I stopped crying for a minute to listen in.

"Actually, I, uh…have an offer to make for you, miss…"

"Hathaway," She answered. I looked at her surprised.

"Say what?" I exclaimed.

"Yes, it seems that I have the same surname as your mother as well as you, but I am not related to you. Sorry," My smile dropped.

"Ah, Ms. Hathaway then, if it's not too much to ask, are you willing to stay here and take on the role as a substitute mother for Rose?" I looked at Dimitri.

"Don't…that's too much…" I told him. The lady held me gently.

"I'd be glad to care for her. Is that alright with you, Rose?" She asked me. I looked at her. She definitely looked like my mother.

"Are you sure…?" I hesitated.

"Sweetheart, if you need me here, then I'll stay here. I can't exactly return to Daryl, now can I?" She smiled, wiping my tears.

"No, I guess not…" I wanted to say the word 'mom' but it wouldn't come out.

"Say it," She smiled at me.

"Mom," She held me dearly.

"That's a good girl. Mr. Belikov, thank you," She looked at Dimitri.

"For what? I put the burden on you," He looked confused.

"Yes, but my daughter, a long time ago, passed away. She would be Rose's age right about now," I looked at her, surprised.

"If that is what you wish," Dimitri spoke calmly.

"M-mom…" I whispered.

"Yes, dear?" She gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Ah, nothing…I just…it feels weird. Sorry…" I apologized to her.

"Don't worry. I know it's weird. Your full name is Rosemarie. Would you like that or Rose?" I knew I was stupid for answering the way I was, but to be honest I missed hearing that name.

"Rosemarie would be wonderful," I told her. Dimitri seemed happy.

"I guess everything is set then. I'll get a room for you and have everything set for you," Dimitri looked as if he was going to leave.

"Actually, Mr. Belikov, now that I am Rosemarie's mother, I do have one request for you," She hesitated a bit. Wow, even she was nervous.

"And that would be?" Dimitri inquired.

"I do have to protect her meaning if you dare to hurt her, you'll be hearing it from me," Dimitri tensed. This lady who was now my mother even had the same effect on him. Uncanny, much?

"Of course, Ms. Hathaway," He bowed.

"Please, Sarah is fine. That's my first name," Dimitri nodded.

"Of course…Sarah. Rose, she's your new mother. Don't be too hard on her, alright?" He looked at me seriously. I smiled at him.

"I won't. I promise," I told him. I had hurt my mother more than enough times. I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

"Then why don't you take her around the school for a tour while I get a room set up for her?" I nodded.

"Come on!" I wasn't going to hesitate now as I took my new found mother by the hand and ran off with her. Of all the gifts from Dimitri, this was the best gift ever!

**So, a new mother for Rose now. How does that sound? I think they're going to get along just fine. Anyways, I do hope you guys liked this chapter! If you did, please review! I got a bunch of reviews for the last chapter so please, please keep it up!**

**Also, I will be gone starting Wednesday for my summer trip to Hong Kong. However, that does not mean this fanfiction will be stopped during that time. I'll be gone for a bit more than a month. I'll have a laptop with me but I can't guarantee fast updates but I'll try to the best of my abilities! Thanks for understanding!**


	34. Chapter 34: Guilt and Trap!

**So here's chapter 34! Thanks to loventherussian17, gopherluv, roseskyangel, VampGirl4EverandEver, and 17cowgirl for the reviews! You guys are amazing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA characters or the Pokémon moves!**

**Chapter 34**

After showing my mom everything, and told her just about anything and everything, she simply smiled.

"It seems you have a lot of fun, excitement, and adventure here," She stated. I nodded.

"Um…mom?"

"Yes?" She smiled.

"How did Daryl find you?" I asked. To be honest, I had wanted to know for a while now.

"It was when I was at the cemetery. I was visiting my daughter's grave since it was her birthday. Before I knew it, Daryl came and said that there was a girl who lost her mother recently and he found me. At first I thought it was all quite nice and innocent up until one day when I overheard him talking to Annabelle about a plot against you. That's when I thought that they day I meet you, I would intervene. And then you met me," She stated. Wow, quick story. _'Roza, the room's ready. It's room 508.'_

"Hey mom, room's ready. Come on!" I pulled her out of Dimitri's room and into the new room. It looked quite amazing. It was just as big as Dimitri's room if not bigger.

"I hope this is to your liking," Dimitri told my mother.

"Of course. This is more than enough. Thank you," She smiled. I looked around.

"So will you be staying with me or your mother, Roza?" Dimitri asked. Hm…guess I didn't think about that.

"I'll stay with my mom for a while. Maybe a week or so, then I'll go back to your room," Dimitri nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," Everything felt so right again. The only thing that would make it better was if my father was here. But nonetheless, I was grateful.

"You called?" Suddenly my dad showed up at the opened door.

"But…how?" I looked at Dimitri as he smiled.

"Texting, simple," He stated. I gave Dimitri an odd face. "Hey, I'm not too old to text!" He exclaimed.

"Sarah…" My dad looked at here.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" I asked. This just got weird.

"Yes, she's my girlfriend…up until Daryl carried her off to God knows where and I couldn't find her," My father answered in an 'as-a-matter-of-fact' tone.

"Abe," She ran into my dad's arms. "I missed you, dear," They had a quick kiss.

"Eww…" I shuddered.

"Kiz, you do it too with that man over there," He pointed to Dimitri.

"Touché," I stuck my tongue at him.

"Wait, is she the new mother Dimitri texted about?" I nodded. "And you're alright with all this?" I nodded again and smiled. It's time I fixed my past mistakes starting now. I took my mother for granted before and my father. But that wasn't going to happen again.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" She looked at me, obviously happy.

"I love you," I told her. She became teary-eyed and hugged me.

"I love you too, Rosemarie," Dimitri suddenly awed and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, seeing as how dad is here…I'll stay with Dimitri then," I quickly took Dimitri and dragged him out. As I looked at my cell phone, the clock shocked me. "I'm…dead…" I ran back full speed back to Dimitri and right then, Vladmir was sitting there, annoyed a bit.

"Rose…what happened outside?" He asked.

"A lot," I answered quickly. "So, what are you teaching me?" I tried to get off the subject. He smiled and petted me too now.

"I'm just messing with you. I'm happy for you," I beamed a smile at him as Dimitri sat down somewhere. "Besides that, read pages two hundred to two hundred ten as punishment for being late," He added on. _'Damn. And I was so close.'_ Dimitri laughed and I got started on work. After half an hour of boring history reading, I closed the book.

"Now what?" I asked, somewhat exhausted.

"Pop quiz on the reading," He handed me a sheet and I groaned.

"Dimitri?" I called for him.

"Yes?" I hit my forehead on the table.

"Save me," I told him as he chuckled. "Keep up the good work, Roza," He said back. I quickly guessed on the pop quiz and turned it into Vladmir.

"Rose! This is all wrong!" He yelled. But by that time, I was exhausted, not from the reading, but rather the fight. It drained all my energy. My consciousness slipped in and out.

"Roza!" Before I knew it, Dimitri caught me before I hit the ground from my chair. "Roza, can you hear me? Roza!" I could hear him, but rather, I had no control over my body. I couldn't move at all.

"She's exhausted," I heard Vladmir say. "Parareru, parareru, heal!" I felt a bubble form around me as it was poured with liquid. It was the same relaxing water that I could heal in. "Rose, I know you can hear me. Rest in there for the next couple of hours. I'll get your mom to come in and watch you," I heard him walk away. _'Roza…please be alright.'_ I heard Dimitri's thoughts, but I had already been immersed in a dream. _'Mama…'_

_Couple of hours later…_

"Huh?" I slowly opened my eyes. _'Where am I?'_ I looked around as I saw Dimitri's room. _'Oh, that's right. I collapsed.'_ No one was around. As I closed my eyes again, I heard a click at the door and saw Dimitri, Vladmir, my mother and father walk in. My dad came to me first.

"How are you feeling, kiz? Gave us quite the scare, didn't you?" I smiled to him. _'Dimitri, tell papa that I'm okay.'_ Dimitri did as told.

"Can I touch her?" My mother asked.

"Of course. Just reach your hand in. Don't worry, the bubble won't pop," My mother reached in and I pulled her hand. I put it to my hand and gave her a kiss and smiled. _'Tell mama that I love her and that I'm okay too.'_ Dimitri again followed my thoughts. My mother smiled back.

"Are you feeling better?" I nodded to her. I stretched and the bubble popped as I floated a bit before landing on the bed. I was completely soaked so Dimitri grabbed me a towel.

"How are you feeling, Roza?" Dimitri asked. I didn't answer. All I could think of was what Daryl did. I really thought I could see my mother. Just that once. "Roza, I know what you're thinking," Dimitri told me. I looked at him and he came over to hug me. "Would you guys mind leaving for a while? I have to talk to her privately," Everyone nodded and left. "Hey there," He grabbed me into his arms when I started crying. Daryl had made a deep cut into me by fooling me. "Shh…I'm here. Everything's going to be okay," He soothed me.

"I just thought…just one time, I'd be able to save her! That I could apologize and fix all my mistakes. He led me on, Dimitri!" I screamed.

"Shh…it's okay. I know," Tears streamed down my face as I kept crying. I missed my mother and he directly took advantage of that. Dimitri stroked my hair and spoke to me in Russian.

"I won't forgive him!" I screamed. He held me tighter and started to sing a lullaby to calm me.

_Hush, little baby, don't say a word._

_Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird._

_And if that mockingbird won't sing,_

_Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

_And if that diamond ring turns brass,_

_Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass_

_And if that looking glass gets broke, _

_Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat_

_And if that billy goat won't pull,_

_Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

_And if that cart and bull fall down,_

_You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town_

My sobs slowed and soon, I was left with Dimitri just comforting me.

"Roza, I promise, I will not let him hurt you like that again. You have my word," He whispered. "Come on. Stop crying. Your mother will be worried," I nodded and sat up. He wiped my eyes and gave me a passionate kiss. "Are you okay now?" I nodded slowly. "Do you want to continue with classes or should we wait until tomorrow morning?" I nodded, not answering verbally. "Yes for wait until tomorrow?" I nodded again. "Alright. How about dinner? Are you hungry?" I shook my head slowly. "Do you want me to grab you something?" I shook my head again. "You have to eat something," He spoke. I nodded and pulled him up from my bed as we headed to the cafeteria. "What do you want to eat? There's pizza, steak, and some other stuff," He spoke. I didn't do anything now. I just stood there almost lifeless. I saw Lissa laughing with some friends. I missed her. Suddenly she turned and saw me. She stared at me for a while and slowly approached me.

"I don't want to be like this with you. Can we be friends again?" I didn't answer her so Dimitri filled her in. She gave me a gentle hug and told me things were going to be okay again. "Why don't you get something to eat and sit with us. Everyone misses you," She told me and smiled. "Dimitri, why don't you get her steak with mashed potatoes and some ice cream? That should do the trick," Lissa brought me over to Eddie, Mia, Christian, and Adrian. They all apologized to me but nonetheless, the stabbing feeling in my heart was still there. Christian gave me a sad look and pulled me aside. He warmed up his body and pressed against me. The warmth calmed my mind and I closed my eyes for a minute.

"Don't remember the sad things in life. I was like this when my parents turned Strigoi. You can't let it consume you, Rosie," He knew I hated it when he called me that, but at this point, I was so devastated that I couldn't care. "Come on, smile for me," I shook my head. "Smile, you can do it. You don't have to do it in front of them. Just do it for me," My powers activated and my white wings glowed. I hugged him and whispered to him.

"Thank you, Christian," I pulled back and smiled at him. I wiped the remaining tears and even though I was sad and depressed, I couldn't keep staying weak. "Come on. I think Dimitri's back with your food. When I walked back, Dimitri put the plate down and I ate slowly.

"You don't have to finish everything if you're not that hungry. Just eat something so you have energy, alright?" He gave me a kiss on the cheek. I nodded and kept eating. However, I think because I haven't joined everyone in a while, everything was quiet.

"So how are you feeling, little dhampir?" Adrian asked. Lissa elbowed him in the gut and he doubled over in pain. I didn't answer.

"She's already cried her heart out and she feels terrible. There's your answer," Lissa answered for me. "Now don't go making it worse," She chided him too. Suddenly, there was a sweet scent coming from Adrian and I looked at him.

"Smell good?" He asked. I nodded. Energy released from him and I soon realized that his spirit was affecting my sense of smell. It was relaxing, like perfume or like some type of aromatherapy. He stayed that way the entire time and I knew it was also inducing hunger so I would eat more. Eddie came to me and gave me his cupcake.

"You need it more than I do," He smiled at me, giving me a hug too. I missed all my friends and in one second, things were brightening up for me. Mia eventually came too and gave me a several pieces of candy. Sure that seemed little, but what I didn't know was that they were also my favorite kind of candy.

"You've been out of class for a long time so you haven't played any games or won anything. I saved all this up for you," She smiled.

"Thank you," I told all of them. Lissa turned away for a bit. "Lissa, are you okay?" I asked her. She gave me a box.

"Open it," I opened it and saw a bracelet. It had the letters of 'BFF' on it.

"Are you sure?" I asked her. When I looked at her, she smiled.

"I over-reacted and to be honest, I've been wanting to tell you for some time, but it was either I didn't have the courage to walk up to you anymore of it was the fact that you're either gone wild or with Dimitri. Things kept getting in the way," She told me. I just nodded. I mean, how was I supposed to respond to that? I put it on.

"So, friends again?" She asked unsurely. I smiled lightly at it.

"Friends," I finished about half my food then stopped.

"You don't have to finish it. Do you want to rest?" Dimitri reminded me.

"How about we go out for a walk?" Dimitri nodded at my suggestion. Lissa and everyone gave me a hug.

"It's nice to have you back, Rose," I separated from them while I took Dimitri's hand. He led me out of the cafeteria and to the school garden.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah…I just need some fresh air," I sat down near a giant tree where I laid down on the grass.

"Hey, Roza, are you sure you're alright?" He sat next to me and touched my forehead. I turned away and closed my eyes. "Hey, don't go to sleep! If you're not feeling well, I can get you some help," He told me. I could hear the distress in his voice, but didn't move. A dream started to form so I didn't bother waking. "Roza!"

_In dream…_

"_Mama…" I looked around. Everything was beautiful. There was a lawn and flowers and it was simply drop dead gorgeous as I walked around. "Mom!" I shouted. No answer. "Mom!" I shouted again. _

"_She's over here," I quickly turned and saw myself. _

"_Who are you?" I asked, more like challenged the look alike._

"_I am you in the spiritual form. You have an ability that lets you go to the spirit world right? You're shadow-kissed. Right now, I'm just your guide, but we are in the spirit world," She smiled. Okay…as if this isn't weird or anything. I followed her and deep into the forest, another area formed. It seemed to be a dungeon. _

"_Where are we?" I looked around, somewhat disgusted at the dark mood of the area._

"_We are at Daryl's lair. Your mother…her body was dug up by Daryl and he has a resurrection spell. He plans to truly resurrect her. He doesn't have the spell for it yet. What he did earlier was just a fluke. But nonetheless, he has an advantage against you currently. Come, we must not stay long or else he'll detect our presence," She pulled my hand as I saw my mom's dead body, still untouched. _

"_So? Why are you telling me?" I asked. _

"_Because as long as you now know the area, you can find him," She told me. Now I was getting the gist of it. "Go back, you can't stay long in here or else you stay trapped in the spirit world," She kicked me out of my dream._

_End of dream…_

I sat up suddenly, startled by the sudden end of the dream.

"Rose, Roza, I'm here," I saw Dimitri's worried face as I looked around. I was back in Dimitri's room. "You passed out. I brought you back here," I nodded and looked slightly confused.

"I need to go find your father…" I told him. "Daryl…has my mother's real body," I spoke in a trance like voice.

"Hey, wait!" He pulled on my wrist. "We'll figure this out. Just keep calm," He told me.

"I have to find her…" I told him.

"We'll figure this out. Roza, it might be a trap. There's no way he knows where your mother was if you think about it. He was never at the funeral and there were guards on the perimeters. Think about it!" He yelled. The spell on me snapped and soon, I looked around.

"What the hell?" I shook my head. Dimitri sighed.

"Looks like it was a trap," Dimitri said in a quiet voice.

"What trap?" I asked. What the hell just happened?

"It seems my father accessed you in your dream to lure you to him. I'm assuming he said that he had your mother and you started to act weird," He explained to me. "Come here, Roza,"I sat in his lap.

"Listen to me clearly. No matter what happens, there's no way he has access to your mother. The place is still heavily guarded and as strong as my father and Annabelle are, they cannot get through. Also, your mother here loves you very much as do I and your father. Your family is here now and I think your mother would think the same. So, no matter what happens, we're family. Alright?" He showed me the ring on my finger. "And this proves it," I smiled and kissed him.

"Of course," I nuzzled against him and he did the same.

"That's my Roza," I smiled. Suddenly, one of the teachers ran out to us.

"Belikov, teacher meeting going on…" He huffed and puffed. I looked at him oddly. _'Did the guy search all over campus for us?'_ Dimitri looked at his watch, and shocked, he got up.

"Rose, come on. I'll take you back to your mom. She'll watch over you," I got up and followed him. We found my mom in my dad's room just chatting and Dimitri explained everything. My mom opened her arms to me and I went to her.

"Come back when the meeting's done, alright?" I asked Dimitri.

"Of course, my princess," He gave me a quick kiss and went off. My mother laughed while my dad grumbled.

"Hey, lay off, old man," I told my dad.

"But you're my princess too!" He yelled.

"Yes, yes. I know," I stood up.

"Where are you going, dear?" My mom asked.

"To hijack that teacher's meeting," I grinned evilly.

"Don't do that. That's not right," She told me.

"Haha, if it's one thing you'll learn about me. The teachers are used to it by now. See you guys at dinner?" I asked them.

"Sure thing, Kiz," My dad answered for the two of them. I headed over to the teacher's lounge and heard them talking about teaching strategies. I walked in and Kirova sighed.

"Miss Hathaway, what are you doing here?" She asked me.

"Same as usual, doing what I'm not supposed to be doing," I grabbed a Coke on table and went over to Dimitri.

"Roza, go back to your parents. You're not supposed to be here," I laid my head on his lap. He was on the couch and no one sat next to him so I relaxed. Kirova gave up and just told me to stay quiet, then continued discussing about teaching materials. Dimitri smiled at me and brushed my hair gently with his hand. Now I knew what he was up to. But, it was too late to do anything. He got me all comfortable with the purpose of knocking me out so I wouldn't cause any real trouble. "Getting sleepy yet?" He asked teasingly. I quickly sat up and everyone looked at me.

"I bet five bucks she won't make it," Yuri laughed.

"I bet five bucks she'll make it," Stan put in his bet. I was getting sleepy and yawned. Everyone put in their bets and I laughed a bit. Even Kirova had her bet that I wasn't going to be conscious.

"So how long do we wait?" They asked each other.

"Not long," Dimitri chuckled. Soon, I yawned again and leaned against Dimitri's arm.

"Is she asleep yet?" They all asked.

"Not yet. Wait a bit longer?" Finally, tired as hell, I think at one point, I fell onto his lap. I heard some people cheering and grumbling but couldn't make out the individuals.

"Goodnight, Roza," Dimitri kissed me and I curled up.

**Aww…now wasn't that cute? Hope you guys liked this chapter, and please keep up the reviews! They encourage me to write faster and at this point, I do expect around 8 or more reviews per chapter! Thanks!**

**Oh, and just because I'm in Hong Kong doesn't mean I don't have internet access! I do check the reviews and the count! Lately I've been just waiting for you guys to put more reviews!**


	35. Chapter 35: Family Feud, Switching Sides

**So here's chapter 35! Thanks to loventherussian17, gopherluv, 17cowgirl, roseskyangel, and MarianneNorthmanCullen for the reviews! Keep it up! I hope you guys are enjoying the story!**

**Also, a special thank you to PrincessCindy who just started reading and gave a lovely review for chapter 14! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any VA character except my own.**

**Chapter 35**

"Someone has to protect her, Belikov. If you keep exposing her to Daryl, one day she'll really turn against us. Something has to be done," I heard someone's voice. It didn't seem to be Dimitri's.

"Well, what do you want me to do? We can't just waltz in and infiltrate in his hideout. I don't even know where it is. Nor can I go. I'm the one taking care of her," That was Dimitri. I was awake but feigned sleep so I shifted a bit and turned away from them. Dimitri soothed me, telling me to take it easy.

"I guess there isn't much we can do. But we can't just sit here doing nothing while Daryl knows where we are," Stan suggested.

"I can train her. To be honest, Rose doesn't need her general education classes to graduate. No matter how much she doesn't listen in class, she's smart enough to know all the material. But I need to up her training. Her powers are just about the only thing that can save her," Dimitri suggested.

"So be it. I think that's all we can do for now. Meeting dismissed," Kirova spoke up. I heard the shuffling of guardians and I opened my eyes.

"Good morning," Dimitri smiled. He picked me up as I was still about half awake. I think I mumbled something incoherently. "It's almost dinner time. Are you hungry?" I shook my head. "Want to go back and sleep more?" I shook my head again. "What do you want to do?" I shook my head another time. "Are you okay?" I nodded. When we were back in our room, he sat me on the bed. "Come on, drink some water," I took the cup and drank the water.

"Why don't you eat dinner? I'll be fine," I told him.

"Are you sure? Don't go anywhere, alright?" He told me. I nodded.

"Sure," He looked at me strangely, but I overlooked it.

"Fine. I'll be back in a half hour. I expect you here," He reminded me. Either way, he eventually left and I was alone. When I made sure he was gone, I flew from the balcony up to the roof with my iPod. It didn't feel right to me, knowing that nothing could be done about Daryl. I mean, I hate sitting and just waiting for something to happen. Annabelle, physically, was stronger than me because she's had more practice. Even if I wanted to go do something, it'd be a suicide idea. So, to calm my thoughts, I started to sing instead. It was the only thing I did nowadays to calm myself without Dimitri.

_In a perfect world_

_One we've never known_

_We would never need _

_To face the world alone_

_They can have the world_

_We'll create our own_

_I may not be brave, or strong, or smart_

_But somewhere in my secret heart_

_I know_

_Love will find a way_

_Anywhere I go_

_I'm home_

_If you are there beside me_

_Like dark turning into day_

_Somehow will come through_

_Now that I found you_

_Love will find a way_

I sighed as I still was restless even after I stopped singing.

_I was so afraid_

_Now I realize_

_Love is never wrong_

_And so it never dies_

I quickly turned and saw Dimitri giving me a sad smile. He walked over to me as he kept singing.

_There's a perfect world_

_Shining in your eyes_

I started to sing the rest of the song with him.

_And if only they could feel it too_

_The happiness I feel with you_

_They know _

_Love will find a way_

_Anywhere we go_

_We're home_

_If we are there together_

_Like dark turning into day_

_Somehow will come through_

_Now that I found you_

_Love will find a way_

_I know _

_Love will find a way_

He gave me a hug at the end of the song.

"I knew something was on your mind. You usually wouldn't be that obedient, not that you obeyed me this time either," He tried to joke. I didn't reply back to him.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked him. I was sure that no one was in the hallway.

"I hid behind a curtain. I saw you open the door to look around so I waited a bit before following you," He told me. "Now, tell me what's wrong," I sighed.

"Nothing," I told him.

"Rose, you know better than to tell me that," I knew it wouldn't get by him.

"It just feels wrong knowing I can't do anything to hold back Daryl. I heard what was said at the end of the meeting. You're going to up my training because that's the only thing that can be done. And that's not all. I thought the guardians trusted me more, but instead, they're just worried I'll turn against them. Am I thought of really that little?" I stood up looking at him with tears in my eyes. "I've done as much as I could to gain their trust and just when I thought everyone trusted me; the idea's thrown back into my face!" Dimitri looked at me with a shocked face. "And what's worse is that you don't trust me!" I yelled finally. He looked away.

"I just…"

"When they thought I would turn against them, you never said anything to revoke that! So what? You think I'll betray you too?" I finally lost it and snapped. Darkness burst around me. Dimitri came to me and held me.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong not to rebuke their statement," He told me. My anger extinguished and only tears remained. "I was wrong. Come on, don't cry. I'll talk to them later," He rocked me back and forth. "I'll fix this. Don't worry. Shh…everything's going to be alright. Just take it easy," When my tears subsided, he sat me down. He rubbed my back as I coughed a bit. After a while, he picked me up. "You'll catch a cold out here," So, he brought be back to our room. "Are you hungry?" I shook my head. "Are you sure?" I nodded. He got into bed with me and kissed me. My tears had dried and subsided. "Rose, you should know that I love you so that includes trusting you. No matter what happens, I'm always on your side. As much as you'll never betray me, I'll never betray you and that's that," He kissed me more now, starting to get more passionate. As I went along, before I knew it, he made love to me. After that, we were relaxed and tired. My mind was completely empty, no longer filled with worry or anger for that matter. "I love you, my dear Roza," He kissed me once more.

"I love you too," I curled up next to him. And just as I was about to sleep, the phone rang. Dimitri looked at me worriedly. "Pick it up," I told him reluctantly, and that he did.

"Guardian Belikov…yes, actually, that's something I wanted to discuss, hopefully tomorrow? Of course, the others have to be notified first," I got up and he looked at me. Putting one hand on the end of the phone, he whispered to me.

"Are you okay?" I looked at him and put on my clothes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," When I stood up though, because of the rough love making session, I stumbled into the desk across the room. Dimitri instantly dropped the phone and caught me before I actually hurt myself for real. I tried to keep on standing as Dimitri went back to the phone.

"Look, I'll call you back. Rose needs some help right now. Talk to you in a few hours," After that he hung up to support me on my stomach.

"Sore?" He asked.

"Yeah…" I gritted my teeth as the muscles in my leg were sore as hell.

"Can you stand?" He asked worriedly.

"Um…I don't know," I still supported myself with my hands pushed on the desk.

"Move your legs a bit," I tried to move them and slowly, I could support myself.

"I think I'm fine now. Thanks," I blushed.

"Are you still up for dinner?" He asked. _'Why are you so insistant on food?'_ I gave him a look. _'Because when you don't eat, that's when I know something's wrong.'_ He told me.

"Well, I'm fine. I'm just…not hungry. That's all," I gave him a kiss. "I promise. Look, I need to see Vladmir for a few minutes…in private. Why don't you go eat and I'll meet you there?" I left quickly, not giving him a chance to follow me. _'Vladmir, tell me you're in your room.'_ I sent him a message. _'Yes, I am. Is something wrong? You seem distracted.'_ I smiled a bit. He was fast at catching my emotions, which I have to admit. _'I just wanted to visit you. Is that alright?'_I asked first. I didn't want to exactly be barging into people's rooms. _'Of course. I'll leave my door open so you can come in.'_ I rushed to his room, but this time, not before looking back and seeing if anyone was following me. And there he was, Dimitri stood there, a distance away from me. _'Why are you here? Go eat dinner.'_ He smiled at me and turned away. As he started walking down the hallway, I felt bad for pushing him away. I had my own problems to take care of, and he couldn't skip dinner because of me. I turned and entered Vladmir's room.

"Hey, sit down on the bed. Let me give you a quick check up first," I took off my shirt as he checked my heartbeat and everything. "You are fine. Here's your shirt. So, what's wrong?" He asked me.

"Dimitri wants to up my training, but what am I supposed to do? I already know all the spells," I told him.

"Ah. That's what you were worried about. You didn't want Dimitri to tell you to be careful and all that," I nodded.

"Yeah…so is there anything that can help?" I asked.

"There is, but I can't help you with that. There's a special injection I made from pure dark energy, the same energy you use when you're enraged. However, that's only for special conditions. You're still strong so you have to train. When time comes for the final battle with Annabelle and Daryl, the injection will force your final transformation. Right now you can transform into a wolf, an angel, and dragon. Your dragon form is still incomplete. I don't know how much Daryl copied Annabelle out of you, but if it's one thing, she can't fully use her dragon form. She can just go as far as you can. If and when you receive the injection, you turn into what I call the Black Rose Dragon. It's the form you can defeat her with. However, it has some health side effects I have to work on. So here's your answer. Train. Train, to be stronger. Take your aerial ace to a new level. Take your shadow ball to a stronger form. Make shapes out of it, use your creativity," He explained. "To be honest, Dimitri should be the one you go to. He's your master now. I'm really only supposed to watch from the stands sort of thing," I nodded.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Thanks…" I started to get up.

"Rose!" I looked back at him.

"Trust Dimitri more. He's new at this," I nodded and left. When I headed to the cafeteria, I saw Dimitri sitting by himself, reading the spell book. He gave me a look and signaled me to come over. I did and sat next to him.

"So?" He asked as he flipped through a page. I stayed silent for a while.

"I'll wait for you in the gym," I got up again.

"Roza, what is this about?" He asked.

"Nothing. I just want to get stronger. That's all. I'll see you in a bit," He nodded and I saw him finish up dinner quickly. When I got to the gym, it was quiet. Mats were still placed out so that was nice for me. I started off by creating a simple shadow ball. _'Make shapes out of it.'_ I remembered Vladmir's advice. How was I supposed to do that? I focused on it and for a minute, I thought I saw it deform. Maybe it was just my imagination? I tried the same thing again, and the spherical form, like I thought wobbled. So maybe it was bent on my will? I focused to make it into a heart shape and slowly, but surely it did. I quickly dispelled it and created another shadow ball. This time, I focused and created a ninja star figure. But this time, I tried to use my air magic and levitated it, making it a razor figure.

"Rose! What did you-" I lost focus and the star shot off.

"Duck!" He ducked as it missed him and bounced off the wall. It rebounded again and again. _'Dispell!'_ It headed for me.

"Rose!" He tackled me as it finally dispelled, hitting a window. "What were you thinking, training without supervision?" He yelled at me. I stood up and created another one. Again, it levitated.

"I think I got the hang of this," I slowly moved the star around and it orbited around me. "See?" I threw it at a dummy and unaware of the force, it sliced the dummy a bit. I cursed in my mind.

"Rose, stop before you get hurt and that's an order!" I looked at him. Guess "Guardian Belikov" was back.

"Yes, master," I answered reluctantly. As much as it was nice he was the one taking care of me, formalities suck. Period.

"Come on, on the track. Twenty laps," He commanded. Crap. I haven't run in ages and was nowhere near in shape. When I stepped onto the track, he joined for a light jog. Slowly, but surely, I started speeding up. Dimitri still kept up with me, but I knew this wasn't fast enough to defeat Annabelle. Lap after lap, I pressed to add more speed. Finally, my wings grew out and I flew.

"Rose!" I ignored him and started flying faster and faster. _'More! I need to get faster!'_ I pushed my wings harder. "Rose, come down here!" He ordered me. Finally, I tried to land. Keyword tried and failed. I had moved too fast, and trying to land only got me crashing towards the ground. "Rose!" I forced my eyes open to see Dimitri underneath me. "Hey, you okay?" He asked. I stood up quickly and my wings retracted.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I headed back to the gym.

"Rose, stop right there. I'm starting to get annoyed of your attitude. What in the world is going on?" He asked me slightly on the harsh side.

"Nothing! It's nothing...I just…" Dimitri suddenly gave me a hug.

"I just don't want you hurt. That's all. If it's anything I can help with…" He asked quietly.

"No! It's just…Dimitri, now's not the time to be around me. I just have a lot on my mind," I went into the gym and started working on physical combos on the dummy. Dimitri sat on the bench quietly. I could tell he was staring. I yelled as I punched the dummy over and over again. Finally I stopped. "Damn it!" I wasn't strong enough. This wasn't good enough. I had to be better. I started speeding up my attacks until finally Dimitri came up from behind me. As I was about to throw another punch he caught my wrist.

"Stop. That's an order," I froze in that position as he held a tight grip on my hand. "Snap out of it. This isn't you, Rose. Calm down," He gripped my wrist tighter and I snarled. "I said stop. Now," He tightened his grip even more until I cried out in pain. I growled and snapped at him. "Stop!" He pulled me towards him. My wings that came out now were black showing that I had lost my real self to vengeance and anger. "Angel of darkness, I command you to stand down right now! That's an order from your master!" Something from inside my strength suddenly gave out at the command and I collapsed onto Dimitri. "Rose! Rose! Hang on!" He laid me down. "Shit…you're burning up again. What the hell is going on with your powers?" He picked me up and ran me to Vladmir. When I felt a churning feeling in my stomach, I got off and ran to Vladmir's bathroom where I started to throw up. Dimitri held my hair back as I kept going at it. "Rose…" I quickly rinsed my mouth afterwards and collapsed onto my knees. "Are you okay now?" He washed me up a bit more and carried me to Vladmir's bed. Vladmir gave me a checkup.

"Weird. She was fine before when we talked…" He ran his hands over my heart. "It's beating fast. Rose, why don't you rest here? I know you're not pregnant because there's no other life form yet, but you were practicing quite harshly. You probably fried your powers and it's just a side effect. Dimitri, why don't you leave her here and check in in a couple of hours? I'll monitor her to see if anything comes up. If anything does come up, I'll contact you," Dimitri looked at me as I turned away. I had snapped at him before time and again and he was still just as nice.

"Of course. Rose, are you okay here by yourself?" I nodded and mumbled a bit.

"I'll take care of her. You have nothing to worry about," Vladmir reassured Dimitri. Dimitri gave me one last glance before leaving. Vladmir went to close the door. When he knew Dimitri was gone, he turned to me.

"What in the world were you thinking? You could have killed yourself! This isn't some magic a little kid can play with. This is dangerous dark magic, one type that can kill you if you're not careful! Just because you're trying to get stronger does not mean you can force all your powers to come out and lash out like that!" Vladmir yelled at me. "Rose, am I crystal clear?" He roared at me. I turned to him with contempt.

"Then what am I supposed to do? I can't sit around and do nothing! I told you that and you didn't give me an answer. You told me to use my creativity and I did. Now, here you are contradicting what you said!" I yelled back with the same amount of anger, if not more. I was pissed and that was the least of it.

"No, I'm not! I told you to use your creativity, yes, but I hoped you did know that any rule to training is that it always needs constant supervision! God, Rose, you've known this ever since you started training in your early life! Tell me you know better than that!" He continued to shout.

"Why…?" I asked him quietly now.

"Why what?" He yelled.

"Why did you choose me to do this? I never signed up for this!" I ran out the door in tears.

"Rose!" I continued to run. This wasn't fair. So many rules were created for me that I just can't take it anymore. I wasn't built to be a superhero. I wasn't meant to do this. This has to be a mistake. I'm not the noble, fighting girl. I'm the party, and just want to be normal girl. Is that too much to ask? When I got outside, it was raining hard and I threw at the ground shadow balls one after another until a giant crater was made. I hid in the forest while it rained after a while. A rustling in the bushes caught my attention as I looked to see who it was.

"Daryl, what are you doing here?" I asked, almost nicely. He stayed quiet and looked at me. "I said, what are you doing here?" I yelled at this point. When I looked up at his face, it held pity.

"Because I'm a father, I'll be nice to you just this once," He told me.

"What are you talking about?" He pulled me up and into his arms.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" I screamed.

"Shh…just relax. I said, just this once, I'm not going to hurt you. Trust me," He told me.

"Why should I?" I yelled back.

"Then would you rather return back to where Vlad is right now?" He asked. I sniffed and shook my head. "Exactly," He rocked me back and forth just like Dimitri would. "Shh…Roza, dear Roza…" He dug into his pocket and I jumped back. "Trust me. It's for you," I looked at him warily, hand on my stake. He took out a necklace. "It was your mother's apparently when I found her. I'd thought you'd want it back. No charm. Nothing. Just a necklace," He placed it on the ground in front of me and backed away.

"Why are you being so nice?" I asked him, taking the necklace from the ground.

"Roza, darling, have you not figured it out?" He asked.

"You want my powers. You want me, don't you?" I tried to confirm it. He sighed.

"No. That's not it. I'm not the boss or creator of this mission. My boss is the one who wants you. That's it. But I can't exactly hurt you and bring you to him. He needs you alive, but he never said untouched. I could hurt you, yes. But I choose not to. You are connected to my son. I've caused him enough pain. He doesn't need more," He gave a weak smile.

"So you're playing the bad guy. You're not actually one?" I asked.

"Well, I am seeing in my current state like this. But, Dimka…Dimitri wouldn't want me back after what I did to his mother, my wife, Olena," It poured heavily now. "Come, child, over here," I followed him, despite the danger I was putting myself in. He sat against a tree as he took off his rain coat. He covered my head and body with it. "Is that better?" I nodded and leaned against him now. "May I tell you a story?" He asked.

"Sure. I have time," I told him.

"Well, Dimitri obviously resents me so much, but you, you changed him. Does he know why I hurt him when he was little? Why I bullied my own wife?" He asked me.

"It was because you were drunk," I stated.

"Yes, but for what reason?" He asked me back.

"I don't know," I finally admitted.

"It was because I wanted a son," He stated.

"But…Dimitri, he's your son," He shook his head.

"He's Olena's child. I meant, in terms of personality. He spent so much time with his mother that I thought he hated me, which to a certain end, he did after I hit Olena a lot. I always wanted a son that I could talk to, teach to, but he never took a liking to me. I just felt like a failure at that point so I drank until the pain in my heart left. But before long, years went by and Dimitri really turned against me. That's when he believed he killed me for beating his mother so much," He explained.

"Wow…that's unbelievable. You're not joking, are you?" I tried to confirm.

"No, I'm not," He answered me.

"So why not tell this to Dimitri?" I asked.

"Would he listen?" I shook my head.

"Probably not…" I admitted.

"It's too late for me to fix things with him. He already sees me as a villain, especially like this," He pointed to his skin.

"So why tell me this?" I asked him.

"It's my day off. Look," He showed me a collar looking thing. "When I have this on, I'm not your friend. But if it's off, it's alright to trust me at that point," He told me before putting it away. I nodded. Before long, the rain stopped and he took back his rain coat. "Look, you're smiling, just as the weather is," He smiled. I blushed. "One day, you'll make a beautiful and amazing mother and daughter in law," He told me. I sniffed.

"So why tell me all this?" I asked again. He sighed.

"Maybe I'm just tired of all this hurting one after the other," He admitted, or so it seemed.

"So what about Annabelle?" I asked.

"She's fine. She's living with me currently. I live away from my boss. I have my own place too. She's there and I'm raising her as my daughter," He answered straightforwardly.

"Does she know all this?" He shook his head.

"This is our little secret, alright?" He kissed my forehead. I nodded.

"So are you still coming after me?" I asked, slightly embarrassed to ask something like that.

"Yes, unfortunately. But Rose, even if I do capture you, I won't ever think of hurting you. That whole trap after trap, yes, that's necessary. But if it ever gets too far like last time? Tell me. I'll always be here watching over you guys every Tuesday. In this area, alright?" I nodded. This was unbelievable. He wasn't a bad guy at all. "You should go. Dimitri's coming," He started to walk away.

"Wait!" He stopped and looked back at me.

"Yes?" I ran and hugged him.

"Thank you," He hugged me back.

"Daryl, let go of her this instant!" Dimitri's roar blasted through. I turned back. Fury was in his eyes.

"Time for you to go, little one," He kissed my cheek before putting the collar back on. Dimitri ran towards his father with his stake.

"NO!" I stopped him with a barrier. "Don't hurt him!" I yelled. Dimitri looked at me with confusion.

"Why are you…" I looked to see Daryl gone. Once my barrier collapsed, I fell to the ground, coughing up blood. "Hey, are you okay?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," I started to head back. Tell me this wasn't a lot to process in one person's head. Just whose side was he on then?

**Wow! Now there's a shocker! Hope you guys like the plot twist in the end? Oh, and as for Rose's physical shape, she won't get pregnant until later. I'm thinking after the marriage. So, I hope this answers something! Please review!**

**I do need more reviews to continue and I do hope you guys are still reading this!**


	36. Chapter 36: Secrets Unraveled!

**So here's chapter 36!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA, the character, etc.**

**Chapter 36**

First thing I did when I regained my strength was look for Vladmir. He had some explaining to do. All this time, he left this portion out.

"Vladmir, open up!" I banged on his door. He opened it and I rushed in, slamming the door on my way in.

"I didn't expect you back here," He spoke bluntly.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," I hissed at him.

"Such as?" He asked innocently. He could see the fire in my eyes and I knew it.

"Such as telling me why in the world you want me to destroy Daryl. He's not the enemy and you know it!" I shouted.

"He is your enemy and that is not of your concern, Rose," He warned me. I glared at him.

"You're not the boss he's talking about, are you? You're not pitting me against him for just humor, are you? Because lately, you've been leaving gaps of info everywhere," I accused him. Sure, this was a risky move, but to me, it was something worth trying.

"That's not your concern, Rose. I'm not the boss either," He added on.

"Then how much did you know about Daryl's feelings towards Dimitri. You know a lot more than you say. So why haven't you spared Dimitri all this hatred? You could've ended things and yet you didn't. I never had to get involved. You just didn't fix the mess and now I'm here trying to fix things for you," I kept going at it. "So tell me. You have a grudge against Daryl. And I know what it is," I threatened. He glared at me.

"Rose, don't overstep it," He growled menacingly.

"You…all this time…" I scoffed. "You're not a saint. You're just a coward. You loved Olena! You loved her but you died long ago. You loved Anna before but you just couldn't pull away, could you? So when time came and Daryl got in the picture, you didn't like it, did you? No, you hated him for it. You thought that he took away the love of your life. Please…tell me you didn't charm Dimitri and turn him against his own father. When the beatings started, I know you were probably pissed and knowing your power and will, you would do that," I accused him more. Pieces of the puzzle started to fit together and now I know where it was going to. "You want me to kill his boss, but you also wanted me to kill Daryl off as a side job. He's not a villain! I mean, yes he is, but he doesn't want to be! And it's because of you," Vladmir kept glaring at me. "You're a monster for tearing them apart!" Suddenly the door slammed open and Dimitri was there. Fury was in his eyes, all pointing towards Vladmir. "If what Daryl told me was true out there…if every word he said was real…then you're facing me. I'm not yours to have!" Vladmir's mark on me started to disappear and soon the rose make came back into place.

"Roza!" My wings spread as the rose mark returned to my wrist.

"Vladmir, I fight for whoever needs help, whoever deserves it. And right now, my future father in law needs it a hell of a lot more than you do. Dimitri, your father loves you very much, but you never gave him the time of day. But it wasn't your fault so don't blame yourself. I'm going to your dad. I'm going to help him now. He promised me he wouldn't hurt me. So here's the question, do you want to come?" I asked him. Dimitri looked at me. I could see he was trying to process the information too.

"I don't think I'll go. If what you say is true, then you'll be safe with him. If you can change him, then I'll be waiting for the both of you to return," He smiled a bit. It was a sad smile though.

"You know, this might be the last time I see you. I might not make it back for the marriage in time," I tried to hold back the tears. Dimitri ran and kissed me.

"Thank you for doing this, Roza. I love you. You will come back. As long as my mark lives within your heart, you will always return to me, princess," I shook my head.

"I can't do this. God…" Vladmir glared at me, but I wasn't worried about him. I couldn't tear my heart out like this and leave it here.

"Then how can I help?" Dimitri asked, brushing away the tears that streamed down my face.

"Come with me. Come see your father," I told him.

"Is it a choice?" I shook my head.

"No," He hugged me.

"Then I'll go wherever you go," I took him as I started to fly.

"Rose, don't you dare turn on me!" Vladmir yelled, obviously angry. I let Dimitri down to the ground as I flew back to Vladmir's window. "You won't dare turning against me. You still have to take down his boss!" He told me. I slapped him.

"You don't have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do. I'm doing what's right. I'm fixing your mess. I won't turn on you, but I'm never going to forgive what you did to Olena and her family," I transformed into a dragon and swooped down just low enough for Dimitri to jump onto my back. _'Where are you?' _ I tried to contact Daryl. _'Little one, why are you following me?'_ His voice whispered in my head. _'You're weak still.' _I flew on instinct now. _'Where are you?'_ I asked again. _'At my house, in Novosibirsk. It's a mansion. You won't miss it. I'll leave a window open for you.'_ I flew towards the direction. It wasn't far from where I currently was. It took a decent half hour, but I eventually saw it. My wings, tired, kept beating as Dimitri encouraged me. Just as I saw the window, my vision blurred. I was too exhausted as I started falling. Even Dimitri calling me slowly became faint. However, I never felt the impact. When I opened my eyes, I saw Daryl outside using some spell on me. He kept me up and slowly put me down. Dimitri got off quickly as I transformed back.

"Get her inside!" Daryl shouted. Dimitri picked me up and we headed inside. My eyes had already closed and I felt my heart beating fast. After a while, suddenly I felt something cold surround me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a container of liquid. "Don't worry, little one. It's the same you need to recover," He told me through the glass. Dimitri had his hand, and to my amusement, I tried to fit my hand to his, but his hand was too big. I smiled and he smiled back. I laid back and closed my eyes. 

"All this time…why didn't you tell me?" I heard Dimitri's voice.

"Son…I wasn't a good person back then. I hit your mother, that much of it was true. You would still have resented me. Maybe not as much, but at some point, you'd still have the same hatred towards me. Plus, look at me. It's no way to show you what a father's like," I stayed quiet as I listened to their conversation.

"Still, Vladmir turned against you first," Dimitri stated.

"Let bygones be bygones. All's fair in love and war. Rose, I know you're listening. I'm not on your side and personally, I don't know what you want to do here," He told me. I opened my eyes and looked at them. As I concentrated, wind picked up in the room and I used it to move Dimitri's hand to the glass as well as Daryl's. I then matched my hand to each of theirs. _'I want us to be a family. The way things were supposed to be.'_ I smiled. However, that obviously wasn't going to happen when Dimitri tore his hand away from the glass. _'Dimitri…'_ He looked at me sadly. _'I have to think about some things.'_ Daryl had a sad face as Dimitri walked off. I came up above the water.

"Dimitri!" Daryl stopped me.

"You have to heal. These things take time. I appreciate the effort though," He tried to smile. Obviously, his emotions did not match what he showed.

"I have to go talk to him," I tried to get out again.

"No!" He finally yelled. "Look, love, I won't be as lenient to you as Vladmir was. When I tell you to stay here and heal, I expect you do that if you are staying here in the meantime," I finally relaxed at his command.

"Then can I ask you something else?" He looked at me with curiosity.

"Where's my mother?" I asked him.

"Your mother…love, I thought you knew that was a trick," He told me straightforwardly. "Did you really think I would disturb the dead? I'm not that mean. Sure, my boss wanted me to, but hell, I told him off that time," I nodded. Annabelle walked in.

"Papa, are you here?" Her voice rang.

"Yes, dear, Rose is here too," I then heard a growl.

"Now, now, Annabelle, no fighting. If you do as much as touch a hair on her, you'll be sleeping outside tonight. Is that clear?" Her growl disappeared.

"Yes, papa," She came out into the open and I saw her. She was beautiful as ever. Her figure and everything was ideal almost. I tried to come up.

"What did I say, Rosemarie?" He warned me.

"Sheesh. Just coming up for air," I leaned against the glass, finally able to breathe air and not water.

"Careful, the glass isn't created to hold your weight," I nodded. Annabelle stared at me.

"Annabelle, why do you hate me?" She looked away and left. "Never mind then," Daryl touched my cheek.

"She'll come around. Give it time. It took me forever for her to trust me," Daryl pushed me back into the water. "One more hour of healing and then you can come out. Alright?" I nodded, relaxing back in the water. "Now can I ask you something?"

"And that would be?" Now I was the one curious as to what he was trying to find out.

"You're engaged to my son, yes?" I nodded.

"Would it be a lot to ask of you when it is? I'm not planning to crash it or anything. I just want to know," He smiled, showing his sincerity.

"Christmas day," I told him.

"That's in a month. Are you with child yet?" I shook my head.

"We're planning to have one after we get married. I don't exactly want to look like a big balloon on my wedding day. That would be weird," I told him. He nodded. After an hour passed of joking around, he let me go and take a shower. He gave me a set of Annabelle's clothes when I came out. "Thanks,"

"Are you hungry?" I shook my head but my stomach grumbled. "I'll go make some food for you. In the meantime, make yourself at home. Just don't up to the second floor room on the right, first in the hallway. That's where my boss calls me and if he sees you, then things get ugly. Am I clear?" I nodded.

"Um…can I go…Daryl?" He smiled.

"Have fun here. The place is yours," I ran off to find Dimitri. And where I guessed was right. He didn't want to be here as he was sitting on a tree, far away from the house itself in the backyard. I looked at him as he was reading a book, the spell book.

"I won't turn against him. He doesn't want to harm me so I will not turn against him," I told him. He closed the book and jumped down.

"How are you feeling?" He gave me a kiss.

"I'm fine. I feel better, much better. He's making some food in a minute. Look, Dimitri, we're going to have to be a family soon and I do want him at the wedding," He looked at me quickly.

"You're kidding," He stated. I shook my head.

"No, I'm not. He's your father whether you like it or not and he's my father in law soon. I know you still don't like him. But, Dimitri, I want us to be a family more than anything else," He smiled at me and touched my cheek a bit. "He was hurt pretty badly by your action. You owe him an apology," I told him.

"I don't owe him anything. It doesn't change the fact he still hit his own wife," He told me. I could sense his anger bubbling at the subject. I sighed.

"Whatever. I can sense your emotions anyways. Lost cause trying to tell you now," I headed back inside but Dimitri grabbed my wrist.

"It's not that I don't want us to be a family. I just can't forgive him for the actions he's done," He told me.

"Everything can be forgiven because once you lose your father, you'll know how it felt for me and my mom. It's one mistake that can be avoided," I headed inside as I smelled the scent of food. When I followed the scent, I saw Dimitri's father cooking.

"I hope this is to your taste," He put down the plate and I saw a nice piece of steak, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. I probably drooled.

"It smells amazing," I started to eat. God, the food was amazing. "Daryl, would you mind coming to the wedding? I haven't confirmed the idea with Dimitri yet, but I'm sure he'll come to," I told him. He shook his head.

"I wish I could go, but I don't think I'd be welcomed. Tell you what, if Dimitri changes his mind, come talk to me again about it and I'll think about it," I didn't give him an answer. It was going to be hard changing Dimitri's mind. I've done it a few times, but most end up failing or we end up arguing.

"Alright," I finished dinner and brought the plate over to him.

"Thanks. I'll take care of the dishes," He smiled gently.

"Papa…" He looked at me.

"Should you be calling me that already?" Tears streamed down my eyes.

"Oh, my dear, what's wrong? Was it something I said?" He quickly came to wrap his arms around me. "Shh…it's going to be okay," He rocked my back and forth. "It's alright. Cry all you want," He picked me up and brought me to the living room couch where he laid me down. "Shh…" Slowly, I stopped and he smiled. "What's wrong?"

"I miss my mom," As he flinched, I looked at him.

"I'm sorry…I was mean to do that trick on you. I'm sorry," I shook my head.

"It's alright. I have these crying episodes now and then. You were trying to do your job. It's not your fault. Anyways, why do you have my mother's necklace?" I asked him as he hugged me, brushing my hair.

"You don't want to hear the answer," He stated, giving me a cup of water. "Here," I drank the water.

"Why? You didn't kill her did you?" I looked warily at him.

"Your mother? No, of course not. She'd take me down faster than a cheetah. No, my boss did. As she was dying, she took her necklace and with the last bit of strength gave me her necklace. She started whispering your name but didn't manage to finish. So when I finished saying your name, the necklace glowed in response. Then it just stopped. I figured it has something to do with your powers. Try putting it on," I took the necklace and put it on.

"Rosemarie Hathaway," I spoke. Nothing happened. Dimitri came in.

"What's going on?" He looked at the two of us.

"Nothing. We're just trying something. Do you have any other name you go by?" I nodded.

"Rosemarie Mazur," The necklace glowed and a strong power surged through my body. I ran out the door as I felt a transformation. Within minutes, I changed into almost an angelic figure. I had six wings and a robe sort of clothing. My staff appeared in my hand too.

"Wow, well now we know what it does. Rose, keep it. It's yours," Daryl told me. I nodded and slowly the transformation reverted. "I guess you can now change whenever you want. That's convenient," I nodded and the surge of power stopped as the necklace stopped glowing. "I should get going. Time to report to boss," He headed back.

"Wait, you're not going to-"

"Of course not. I can hide you for the meantime. Don't come up unless I come downstairs. If he even feels your presence near me, like by voice or footsteps, then you'll be in trouble as well as Dimitri. But if you guys stay outside here to play, you should be fine," I nodded as he headed back. When he left, I sighed.

"Tired?" Dimitri asked.

"No. He's a nice man. He wants to fix things. He just doesn't know where to start. Dimitri, can you give him a chance?" I asked him. He didn't give me an answer.

"Why don't you get some rest?" I growled at his question. He was trying to change the subject.

"Don't change the subject on me," I told him.

"Then you're not going to get an answer either way," Dimitri walked by me and into the house. I couldn't follow him inside without risking the both of us in trouble. _'Why are you still holding a grudge?'_ I sent him a message telepathically. _'Rose, this isn't something you should worry over. This is my problem. I'm drawing the line here. Don't press on.'_ He warned me. _'Why? I don't understand. We're getting married in a month and here you are hiding your life from me! I tell you everything and every time I find out something about you, it's always a surprise!'_ I told him. _'There are some things you are not supposed to know. Rose, drop the subject. That's an order. I'm here because of you. I'm not here because I want to, keep in mind.'_ I flinched at his remark. _'Do you love me?'_ I asked him. He quickly rushed back out in fear of what I had in mind. I still had the staff as I turned it into a knife. _'No! Stop! Rose, don't!'_ He rushed out as I didn't slash my wrist, but my hand. I gritted my teeth as the pain seared but I let it drip as he came for me. He tried to heal it, but I pulled away.

"Your father…is a kind man. He's done his best and he needs help so why do you help me?"

"It's because I love you, silly," Dimitri hurried trying to use part of his shirt he ripped as he bound my hand.

"He comes first. Not me. You love family before all else. That's the golden rule. I break every rule so living a life like this is probably my punishment. Yet here you are helping me, and not him," I whispered.

"He's not family. That's why I don't feel obliged to help him," He quickly tied the knot off so the blood would stop dripping out.

"He's your father…you're obliged whether you like it or not. My dad…was never there for me, but I still love him…" I coughed up a bit of blood.

"Rose, hang in there!" He got me inside just as Daryl came downstairs to get us.

"What's wrong?" He asked frantically.

"She slashed her palm and she just started coughing up blood," Dimitri replied.

"Get her to the healing chamber!" Soon enough, I was submerged into the liquid. But this time, I was sure, maybe it was a bit too late.

"Rosemarie, hang in there!" Daryl called out to me. I smiled at the two of them weakly. Sure it was only a slash, but my physical state had weakened considerably as Vladmir said so even the tiniest thing could kill me at this point. "Rosemarie! Listen to me! Hang on!" I put my hand on the glass and the two of them immediately matched it with mine. Slowly, my hand fell and I saw Dimitri reach in to grab my hand.

"I'm not letting you go! You said we're a family! Then so be it!" He yelled. My necklace reacted and I smiled.

"The necklace…it's keeping her alive. She's safe Dimitri. Her mother saved her with that necklace," My eyes closed and I rested up.

"Rose…" I heard Dimitri whisper. "Why do you do such risky things?" I opened my eyes and looked at him. _'If I didn't, you wouldn't listen to me too.'_ I told him. My wings came out to surround me like a blanket.

"Son, get some rest. I'll stay here for the night and look after her. You've had a rough day. There's a room upstairs down the hall, last room. You can use that," Dimitri looked at me sadly.

"I'm…I'm not leaving her…I can't leave her in this state," He whispered. I smiled at him. _'I'm fine now. Go to bed.'_ I saw a tear stream down from his face and I looked away. _'I'm sorry…'_ He tried to laugh. _'Why are you sorry? I'm the one who pushed you too far.'_ He replied back to me. Daryl put a hand on Dimitri's shoulder.

"Papa?" I smiled at Dimitri's word.

"Son, get some rest. She'll be under my care. Don't worry," Dimitri nodded and I got out for a moment. He gave me the best kiss I think I've ever received from him.

"Don't scare me like that anymore. Alright?" I nuzzled against him and he did the same despite my wet state. "I love you, Roza. So much," He kissed me again and again.

"I love you too. Get some rest. Go," I gave him a push. He smiled now and left. Daryl smiled at me.

"You sure have a way with him. I'm sure you can cut his life down by half just by doing that," He joked. I smiled at him.

"Yeah…it's the only way I can get his attention. That's why I act more like a brat around him than anything else. But, he knows why I do it," Daryl sat down and saw Dimitri's book. Apparently he dropped it or something.

"Still reading western novels, I see," He smiled at the book. "He's always like cowboys. Before I 'died', he used to dress up as one even when going to school. All the girls loved him for it," He chuckled just the way Dimitri does.

"Wasn't it against the rules?" I asked.

"Sure, but that didn't stop him. He never told you, did he? He's not the perfect student you make him out to be. He was quite the rebel like you in school. Got into trouble and all, but still studied his butt off," He opened up the book. "Has he been reading this?" I nodded.

"Carries it with him all the time. Why?" I asked.

"It's the first book I've ever given him. When I gave it to him, he said he couldn't read such a hard book so I told him to wait until he was older," He answered. _'So Dimitri never hated his father. In fact, he just misses him…'_ I thought. "Hey, let me see your hand," I gave him my hand. The wound had sealed up and healed.

"You can get out. Your wound sealed up. If you keep injuring yourself, you'll end up staying here for a lot longer than you bargained for," I laughed.

"That's what the doctor said at school," I climbed out to go find Dimitri.

"Um…do you mind if I take that book to him?" He handed it to me. "Thanks," I ran upstairs to his room. He was there sitting on the bed, looking quite solemn.

"Rose…what are you doing here? Are you okay already?" I nodded.

"Dimitri…you still love your father, don't you?" He gave me a confused look.

"Where did you get that idea from?" He asked. I threw his book to him and smiled.

"All this time…I should've know that guardian mask of yours," He finally smiled, flipping through the book and looking at it.

"How did you figure it out? Was it papa who told you?" I nodded.

"He said that he gave it to you once when you were little and you said you couldn't read it. Then he told you to read it when you were older since you loved western stories so much. He even told me that when you were little that you used to dress up and all the girls loved you for it despite school rules," His face turned red. I sat on the bed and he held me tight. "So why do you have to hide all this? If you miss him, tell him. He's waiting," Dimitri shook his head.

"It's not the right time. Roza, it's getting late. I'll talk to him. Get some sleep," I nodded and changed before climbing into bed. Looking at the moon outside, I wondered what Vladmir was doing. Would he be looking for us? Would he send the school guardians after us? Every day had some sort of risk to it. Tomorrow was just going to be a continuation of the dangerous game my life contains. Slowly, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

**Major turn of events, right? Anyways, take note of Daryl's switching side. It does influence the story later. And for all you people who want Daryl evil, he's not so deal with it. The real evil villain has yet to show his face. Anyways! Review! **

**At this point, it seems reviews are dropping, but I'll still finish up the story. If you guys have any ideas or anything, just review and let me know and I'll consider it! Thanks!**


	37. Chapter 37: Enemy Revealed!

**So here's the actual chapter 37!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA, etc.**

**Chapter 37**

"Wake up, sweetheart," I slowly woke up and opened my eyes. The sun came shining through the windows and I looked outside. Another day and so far, things were quiet. When I realized that Dimitri was next to me, I curled up into him. "Come on, get up. Half a day is going to past if you don't wake up," I sat up suddenly, lightheaded. "Take it easy," He held me from collapsing. I got up and looked at the clock. "It's eleven in the morning already?" He nodded. Just as I headed to the door to leave the room, I looked back at Dimitri.

"How long have you been up?" I asked him.

"Me? I don't know. Maybe a couple of hours or so. I went out for a run before coming back," He stated plainly. It was his guardian voice. Surely he knew what I was trying to get at, but he stared at me intently. Whenever he did that, it would be my warning to back off. I stared back at him and he just kept staring. I finally turned away and left. "Wait!" He came at me and pulled at my wrist.

"What?" I snarled at him.

"It's just…It's not that easy," He told me.

"What's not that easy? Dimitri, all you have to do is talk to him! I had it hard! My mom is gone and my dad doesn't care! All you have to do is talk!" I yelled, then flinching as I realized what I had said.

"Rose…"

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, before turning and leaving quickly, appalled by my own behavior.

"No, wait!" I stopped. He held me from behind. "It's alright…nothing to be spooked about. Stay calm, my dear," He caressed my cheek gently while calming me. I shook my head side to side, but I soon realized I was sobbing. It had been awhile since my mother's death, but I guess not talking about it really hit me harder than I thought. Dimitri turned me around and hugged me. "It's alright…it's going to be alright," I cried.

"I need my mom…I need her back!" I screamed at this point. Dimitri took my back into the room, but Daryl came in.

"Papa, it's the darkness!" Dimitri tried to lay me down but I thrashed. Darkness bubbled within me at an extreme pace and I roared. Suddenly I turned to Daryl and he hit the back of my neck, forcing me to black out.

_In dream…_

_I shook my head. 'Where am I?' My vision sharpened, but there was nothing around me. Everything was pitch black. _

"_Rose? Where are you?" It was Dimitri's voice._

"_Over here!" But then there was no response. Where was I? I started walking in a direction until a girl who looked like me stood in my way. "Who are you?" I asked her. She waved her hand to the side and a gust of wind blew at me._

"_You're pathetic. Really, I don't know what Vladmir sees in you," I glared at her and suddenly her image changed. She wasn't like me at all. She was beautiful with long silver hair and a dress fit for a princess._

"_I asked you. Who are you?" I asked again. She suddenly released her six wings._

"_I'm you. Does that answer your question?" She asked in a snarky manner._

"_What do you want? Did you cause that darkness attack?" She smirked._

"_Well I had to get your attention one way or another," I slapped her, but she took my hand and threw me off of him. Because of the lack of training, I had a hard time getting up._

"_What is wrong with you?" I screamed. I looked back at her and her smirk was still there. When I got up, she showed me an image. It was back when I was still rambunctious and disobedient to the teachers. I looked away._

"_To think…you were once strong. But you've become soft. Where was that girl who used to fight all authority, who wanted to be someone?" She yelled at me._

"_You don't understand…" I told her…or myself frankly._

"_What don't I understand? You've grown cowardly, weak, pathetic," She kept going at it._

"_That's enough!" I tackled her. "You don't understand what I've been through! You don't know how hard it is, regretting everything I've done to my mom!" Suddenly someone pulled me back and I thrashed. _

"_It's me! Rose, it's me!" I looked and saw Dimitri. Daryl held back the stronger version of me. "Roza!" I stopped and my legs gave out on me. _

"_See? You're weak," My other form sneered._

"_ENOUGH!" Daryl yelled at her. _

"_Rose? Are you okay?" I took off running. I had to run. I had to run from myself, from everyone. "Rose!" I ran deeper and deeper into the darkness. My conscience was right. I had grown weak and even now I was still running. I finally collapsed and just cried. This was painful. I heard footsteps suddenly and saw Vladmir. How did he get in? I sniffed and wiped my eyes._

"_What do you want?" He bent down and wiped the tears still. He had a gentle smile now. "Shouldn't you hate me?" He shook his head. _

"_It's time to escape this nightmare, princess," He picked me up into his arms. "Ready?" I nodded and he chanted a spell. _

_End of dream…_

"Hey, wake up," I felt someone brush my hair lightly. I slowly opened my eyes and I was still on the floor in Daryl's house. Vladmir was there though. When I tried to get up, Vladmir pushed me down. "It's alright. Just take it easy,"

"What the freaking hell happened?" I asked Vladmir.

"It's nothing to worry about. Just a little power glitch. You're alright. Your powers are under control again. Just relax," I sat up and everyone helped me up. Dimitri took his time cradling me though. Even though I passed out, I was exhausted.

"How are you feeling?" Dimitri asked quietly. He touched my forehead. "She's a bit warm," Vladmir touched my head as I was light-headed. I got up and Dimitri held me up. Out of nowhere, I snarled and pushed him back.

"For once in my life, leave me alone!" I stormed off. My conscience was right and I was afraid to admit it. I hadn't trained for days and ages. Out of anger, fire burst from me and a dragon of fire roared. I used to it attack things until my anger simmered down. "What am I doing?" I asked myself. "Why am I so weak now?" Was it because Dimitri was in my life now? Was it because I couldn't hurt him? I saw him walk out slowly and I backed away from him. He stood where he was and I stared at him while ideas flew in and out my mind. _'Just what is going on?'_ Suddenly, a surge of electricity shot through my body and I gasped. _'You are mine soon, dear one.'_ It was another voice. One I didn't seem to recognize though. _'I am coming for you, my angel of darkness.'_ I fell onto my knees and I heard Dimitri running and yelling for me. Things started to spin and finally I passed out.

_Few hours later…_

"Easy…" I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri with me. He changed the towel on my forehead. "You're okay. You passed out from exhaustion," He told me. I looked at him.

"Someone's coming for me…I heard a whisper. He said "I am coming for you, my angel of darkness"" Dimitri looked at me worriedly.

"Well, I'm here and if they want you, they'll have to get through me first," I smiled. "Although, if you still feel unsafe, we can head back to the school," He suggested. I shook my head, feeling better all of a sudden.

"Nuh uh. You're not getting off the hook that easily," I joked in my snarky way.

"Wouldn't dream of it, love," He chuckled. Then a knock was heard at the door. "Come in," Daryl came in quickly.

"You guys have to get out of here. Now," Dimitri looked at me.

"Who's coming?" Dimitri asked.

"My boss. You have to get out of here!" Daryl exclaimed. I got out of bed.

"No. That's it. No more running. I want to know who I'm running from," I looked at both Dimitri and Daryl.

"The angel of darkness, it's who I am. I can't run from it. And you know what, I'm sick of running. I want to find out who I'm running from, and nothing both you guys say can change that," I headed downstairs and out the door. "If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get," I transformed and Dimitri and Daryl came out with me. I looked on the roof and Vladmir was watching carefully. He had sensed it. Then, from the forest, came three Strigoi. I didn't recognize any of them. There were three guys, but the one in the center stood boldly. He had to have been the leader. When he walked up to me, he smirked.

"Good job, Belikov. You brought her to me, just like I asked," He touched my face and I moved away from him. "You heard me, didn't you, my dear," I pushed him away and he snarled playfully. "Feisty," Dimitri looked like he was about to beat the crap out of him, but I wanted to know about him.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Name is Clay. I'm a, I guess you could say, collector," He gave me the smirk again. "I've been waiting a long time for you to reincarnate, my dear angel of darkness," He tried to kiss me but I bit his lip. Well, that just gave me back a slap to the face. "I, am not to be trifled with, young lady," Dimitri finally lost it, but I still held him back.

"Just what do you want with me?" I asked him.

"Oh? I guess Vladmir up there didn't inform you. You, young lady, are one of a kind. There are six elements. You are the element of darkness. When I have all six, I get the power of the elements. In other words, I am ruler of this world," He sneered.

"Yeah? Well, I don't follow orders easily. You can't just take me," He grinned.

"I know. But that's what all the others said until they fell under control of this," He showed me a collar. I backed a bit.

"Once this goes around your pretty little neck, you become my pet. Simple, and it doesn't hurt a bit," Dimitri tackled him finally and Clay threw Dimitri off easily. I ran to Dimitri to see if he was alright.

"So! Here's the offer I'm making. You come with me, no one gets hurt. Or, we can continue this game of cat and mouse until I catch you for real and people will get hurt," He yelled. I glared at him. Vladmir came down and stood in front of me.

"You're not getting her that easily. You may have three out of six, but she will never complete your collection," Vladmir argued back. I helped Dimitri up and Clay just shook his head.

"Oh, she will. Whether she likes or not. I'm betting the first. Rose? Your choice?" I looked at Dimitri.

"I'm not going with you," I told him. Obviously, with his ability to hear, he heard me.

"Alright, then I shall chase and pursue you until you give yourself up, no matter the body count. Remember, this is your choice, so you can run, but you can't hide," He finally left. I sighed and Dimitri looked at me, smiling.

"That was brave of you," I smiled and got Dimitri back on his feet. Daryl looked away and headed inside while Vladmir helped me out. I caught up with Daryl.

"Why? He'll start hurting the people around you," Daryl stated.

"I know. But I can protect them. He has three girls already. I don't need to be the fourth. I will fight him. Every time he comes, I'll hold my ground. It won't be easy. I know that, but I have to fight back. That's what I've done all my life and that's something that has to continue. If I gave up myself just like that, I'd regret it. I know it. And it's not that really. It's Dimitri. I can't disappoint him anymore. I have to be strong again, and if I have to fight Clay until the day I die, then so be it. But I'm not going down without a fight," I saw Vladmir healing Dimitri.

"Look, I'm getting married with Dimitri soon, and I just want everything peaceful until then. I'm sure I can last that long at least," Daryl nodded.

"If you feel that's right, then I'm all for it. I'll go fix up some lunch for us. Are you still staying here?" I shook my head.

"I think I'll head back. I don't want to cause you anymore trouble and to be honest, it'll hold Clay off in the meantime," He nodded and I headed back to Dimitri, explaining to them what was going to happen. I transformed and flew all of us back. When we got back, everything was the same. It was kind of nice to be honest. Vladmir headed back ahead of us and Dimitri and I were alone.

"Rose…" Dimitri gave me a warning tone.

"I know. I know. We're going to have a talk," Dimitri held my hand as we started to walk. I sighed. _'Crap. So close.'_

**Well, I know this isn't the best chapter, but it's going to get better. I'm just trying to update for you guys! Hope you guys enjoyed it though!**


	38. Author's Note Hold

Hey FF Readers, I know that it's been awhile since I uploaded but here's the situation, I just moved into college and all so things are just busy. I will keep writing so no worries. I just need to recover some files too. I was planning to post chapters 37 and 38, but they're gone so I'll have to re-write them. As for anything else, there's not much going so no worries. I won't abandon the stories so keep reading!

.fortune


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